Frozen
by dancerchick4
Summary: Penryn is laying on the asphalt in front of the loved ones who all believe she is dead. Her unconscious mind is showing her images she doesn't want to see, bringing up painful memories that she can't deal with. She is counting down the moments until she wakes up... but what awaits for her when she does?
1. Chapter 1

My eyes shut once again as a warm hand gently slides over them, and a colourful array of faces and names and events flash through my unconscious mind. There are the obvious ones, like Paige and my mother and my father, but there are also people who I wish weren't there, like Beliel and Uriel and Laylah. Josiah's blood- red irises pop up a few times as well, but mostly I see one person.

Raffe.

His name awakens more memories inside my head.

Sky blue eyes framed by thick black lashes, and dark hair falling loosely over his tanned forehead. I can see his perfect smile and I can almost feel his warmth as he cradles me in his arms to lay me before my family. His snow white wings, which soon morph into the arms of a bat. His struggling to grasp the sword as she rejects him, and his pained expression. I see everything. I see it all- and I wish I could make it stop. But the images tear through my mind like a slideshow, the pace quickening as the more violent ones appear. I want to scream to make it stop, to yell that I can't take it anymore, but I can't speak and I can't open my eyes and I can't even move a muscle.

I am frozen here in time. Forced to relive my memories over and over until eventually the paralysis wears off. I wonder how long that will take... days? Weeks? Months?

The thought makes me shiver. _No, _I tell myself firmly. _It will be over soon, and then you can go find Raffe. _

Raffe.

Raffe leaning against the bathroom door, white towel draped over his hips.

Raffe telling me I had the look they were looking for- beauty.

Raffe telling me that I should've run when I could.

Raffe.

Honestly I don't know why I feel like this. I realize that nothing will ever happen between us, yet I can't let go of that thread of hope that maybe he does care about me after all.

Maybe. Just Maybe.

I don't know how long I've been dreaming. My only source of time passing comes from counting the explosions of bombs around me. I figure out that a bomb goes off once in every one and a half minute period, and if my calculations are correct- which there's a good chance they're not since I practically flunked AP calculus- then I've been paralysed for almost an hour. My fingers tighten at my sides as my mind drifts back into sleep, but then I jolt myself awake quickly, excitement and nerves bubbling up inside of me. My fingers have tightened, which means that I'm regaining my movement again. All that's left to do now is wait.

A little while later and I can feel my toes again, and then slowly my legs and arms, my torso and my neck. And then suddenly without warning, my eyes fly open. I hear gasps around me and I sit up ever so slowly, my muscles quivering and tight. I take a deep breath counting to three and then twist my neck, staring at the world of mass destruction and death before me. Tears flood my eyes as I whimper slightly.

My lips form the word without my permission.

"Raffe."


	2. Chapter 2

_RAFFE_

Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

I focus on my steps as I walk into the aerie, my new wings on display like a trophy in a glass cabinet. Faces stare at me as I pass, some with expressions of distaste, others weary, and some plain gleeful that the almighty Raphael has finally been brought to his knees. Of course they already know everything that has happened- news in the angel world spreads faster than wildfire in a forest, not that I ever cared for petty rumours.

Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right.

Just keep walking, I instruct myself. Don't stop walking. I know that Beliel or Uriel could jump out and kill me within a split second, but I don't care, dammit, I just don't care anymore.

I'm inside what's left of the hotel now, and I fly uncoordinatedly to the second floor without as much as a glance at the ginger-haired server trying to talk to me. I try the door handle and find that it's locked, so instead I just snap the knob clean off, trudging through the doorway. As I expected Laylah is inside, curled up on the bed with a steaming mug in her hand. She glances up at me, surprise showing on her face, soon replaced by a smug little smile that makes me want to kick something.

"Why hello there, Raphael. What can I do for you today?"

The tone of her voice says it all, as if she's completely oblivious to the war outside her room- or at least, completely fine with it. I walk closer to her and she stands up, trying to be brave. I take a deep breath in through my nose, but nothing can stop the fire that's blazing inside of me, so I grab Laylah by the throat and slam her against the wall. She gasps for air as I lean in close to her face, my body quivering with rage.

"You did this to me." I spit at her, then again, louder "You did this to me!"

I stare into her wide, frightened brown eyes, and for a split second I fear that I may actually kill her. But my hand loosens from around her neck without my consent, and I take a step away, watching her heave and gag until she has drawn in enough oxygen to function again.

"I should kill you, you know." I say quietly but menacingly.

Laylah glances up at me, standing a fraction straighter.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Laylah. But don't think for a second that you won't pay for what you did to me... to her." I turn on my heel to walk away, and I've just about reached the door when I hear her speak. Her voice is rough and hoarse, as if the words are scratching against the sides of her throat as she forces them out.

"Tell me, Raffe... how is what happened to her... _my _fault?" She croaks, and my eyes flash as I swivel around to stare at her crumpled figure again. Suddenly my ears are blocked, as if I am underwater, and I can hear the quickening rhythm of my heart beating angrily against my chest.

_Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum. _

The only other time I have felt rage like this is when my wings were cut, but this- this is worse.

"Don't pretend like you don't know- like you're innocent. If you had never have given me these wings than my sword wouldn't have rejected me, and I could've saved Penryn like I was supposed to." I hiss, and I'm surprised and shocked by the amused countenance on Laylah's face. She laughs, just a tiny snicker, but it's enough to make the fire inside me explode again.

"Oh, Raffe, _puh-lease. _Your human toy died because _you _let her, not because of anything I did. But to be honest, I'm not exactly surprised, it was only a matter of time before she-"

"Shut up." I growl, and she closes her mouth obediently, her beady eyes mischievous. I walk away. She didn't finish her sentence, but she's said enough. She calls to me again quietly, almost as if it doesn't matter whether I decide to listen to her or not, and I stop but don't turn around.

"Raffe, I never wanted this for you, much less would I have guessed it. We could've been happy together- but no, of course you went and fell in love with a filthy human. I thought that you were different from all the others. I guess I was wrong though. You're just as bad as the humans and nephilim that you claim to hate." She snarls, and I can tell that she's hoping to get one last tear at me before I go.

I take a deep breath, still not facing her.

"You know Laylah, perhaps you're right- maybe I am like them. But I'm starting to think that maybe that isn't such a bad thing after all." I say patiently.

At least," I pause, "I am not like _you."_


	3. Chapter 3

**__****Hey there! Just a quick message first: I am super super sorry if there are any errors in this chapter because I wrote it at about 10pm and I was tired and well... sorry! There shouldn't be many or even ANY hopefully, but I apologise in advance if there is! Okay, I'll stop talking now... Enjoy and comment! :D**

* * *

_Penryn_

The world I am looking at is not Earth.

It is an alien planet- it has to be.

Because on Earth dead people do not litter the ground, and the whole sky is not the colour of the sun, and smog and smoke don't hang so thickly in the air that it's hard to breathe. On Earth the buildings aren't crumbling away, and shattered glass doesn't cover the ground like tiny needles. On Earth the screams of children and women don't echo and bounce off of the walls.

On Earth, Angel's shouldn't exist.

So I guess this isn't Earth.

Because here, dead people litter the ground, the whole sky isthe colour of the sun and smoke and smog hang so thickly in the air that I can't breathe. Here the buildings are crumbling away, and shattered glass covers every inch of the ground. Here the screams of children and women echo and bounce off of the walls.

Here, Angels exist.

And here, Raffe exists.

"Penryn." I can recognise my mother's voice behind me, and when I look at her her eyes are teary. She leans forward and pulls me into a hug, and for a moment I'm a little shocked. My mother does not hug- not me anyway. She clings onto me for a few more seconds, and a small fraction of my mind becomes impatient. There are so many things I need to do, so many people who need me to keep them safe.

"Mom." I say quietly as she sobs into my dress. "_Mom_, listen to me."

She peers up at me, wiping her face with her sleeves.

"I know you're confused and I'll explain everything soon, I swear. But I need you to get into the truck and go with Obi. You and Paige will be safe there... I'll come for you soon." My urgent words cause another round of hysteria to bubble up inside my mother, and she burst into tears, her lower lip wobbling.

"Mom!" I hiss harshly, willing her to focus. "You need to protect Paige- you're all she has now. Look at me- _look at me._" She obeys, although I can see it in her light eyes that she wants to protest. I inhale deeply. "I promise that I'm coming back for you... I promise." I glance up at Paige, trying to ignore the blood smeared across her mouth, and I smile reassuringly at her. "I'll see you both soon." I force my legs to carry me up and I push my mom gently in the direction of Obi's truck. She stares at me but does as she's told, and for the first time in my life, I am grateful to her.

I watch as an unfamiliar one of Obi's men closes the door of the van, and little Paige presses her hands against the glass window. The engine roars up and she stares at me longingly. "Stay safe, Ryn-Ryn." She mouths as the van parts, and I nod to her, watching it fade into the distance. I turn around to face the alien-Earth again, and it's only then that I realize that something is weighing me down a smidge. My hand flies instinctively to my back to make sure I haven't been secretly strapped with a bomb or something, but instead I come across the flat, cool surface of metal. My fingers trace its smooth lines, and then I realize what it actually is. The Angel Sword.

I'm unsure why, but a little piece of mind comes with having the sword there on my back, my only companion. Maybe it's because it is the closest thing I have to loyalty right now- or maybe because it's the closest thing to Raffe I have right now. I walk slowly around the outskirts of the hotel, slipping inside the ruins when the angels and humans around me are too caught up in the fight to notice. I catch a glimpse of a red-headed server staring with wide eyes at me, and it takes me another second to realize that it's Dee-Dum. I run over to him as his mouth gapes, and I already can tell what he's thinking.

"Before you say anything; no, no I'm not dead, it was just paralysis. And I know, 'hooray she's alive!' and all that, but let's skip the awkward reunion and get down to it. I need you to tell me where Raffe is." My words come out so quick and jumbled that they're hard to make out, but I can tell he understands me anyway. Dee-Dum's mouth is still gaping like a fish, so I do the only thing I can think of and swipe a solid slap to his right cheek. His head whips to the side as his eyes refocus on me, and he clears his throat loudly.

"I don't know where Raffe is, Penryn. He- he _flew _away after he gave us your body." His eyes harden, and suddenly I can see that I'm not forgiven for not mentioning at the camp that Raffe is an angel. I groan internally, my brain buzzing around a million thoughts.

"Okay." I say eventually. "What about Laylah or Josiah? Do you know where either of them are?" I ask, and Dee-Dum nods the slightest bit. He glances around and then beckons for me to follow him, which I do. He leads me up a flight of stairs and walks down a corridor. I try and keep count of how many doors we've passed in case I need to escape quickly, but I lose it after the fortieth. Dee-Dum stops outside a room with a green door and nods towards it, and then he hurries away, vanishing amongst the half-demolished rooms and doors and corridors.

I press my palm against the doorknob and it comes loose in my hand, so I drop it on the floor casually, stepping over it into the room. I don't know what I expected to see when I got in there, but it sure as heck wasn't this. Laylah is perched on the edge of the bed in a bathrobe, clutching the hotel landline to her ear. She quickly glances up at me dismissively, and then she has to a double-take with wide eyes.

"I'll call you back, Gabe." She mutters into the phone before slamming it back down into its holder. I hear her suck in a breath and she stands up, a head taller than me even without her heels on.

"How are you alive? I thought... I thought..." She stutters, and I can't help but smirk just a little.

"Well, you thought wrong _Laylah._" I spit. I fiddle with the hem of my vibrant red dress, wishing it were longer again. "Anyway, this conversation is irrelevant and time-wasting. Tell me where Raffe is?" I ask, sharp and sweet and straight to the point.

Laylah gives me a look that says, _oh, so you want something from me now, do you? _But I try to look nonchalant. She turns away dramatically, and for a split second I can see red marks around her neck- red marks in the shape of long, slender fingers.

"This may surprise you," She drawls, "but I don't actually know where Raffe is. He has a mind of his own that one- a very strange mind, but still, it is his own." She purses her pink lips and sighs, as if there are a million and one other places she'd rather be right now- actually, there probably is.

"You're lying. I don't believe you. You're lying." I say confidently, but part of me wonders whether she really is telling the truth.

She laughs a strange little strangled giggle. "My my, you are a feisty one aren't you? I really do wonder what he sees in you sometimes." She glances sideways at me, but the expression on my face must tell her that I'm in no mood for playing around, so she clears her throat loudly.

"Look, I'll tell you where he is- but not without something in return." There's a mischievous spark in her eyes that I don't like, but I know what I have to do.

I take a deep breath, cracking my neck to each side. Boy, am I going to regret this in the relative future.

"Deal." I say after a moment of silence. "Name your price."


	4. Chapter 4

_RAFFE_

The silence is deafening as I wade through the rubble back into the courtyard. There are fallen angels strewn across the land, and I try not to look at their faces, knowing that sooner or later I will come across one that used to be my friend or even my foe. It's eerily quiet, the kind of quiet that makes you wonder whether noise really existed here in the first place, but I keep on walking.

My legs are carrying me to the basement, because I want to get as close to the underworld as I can. I know what I want to do, though I don't particularly know how to do it, so going to the site of... of her... her... death seems like a pretty good place to start. I've heard the stories about people who successfully do what I am trying to, but no one ever tells you how they did it.

I stop when I reach the very spot where she was killed, and my chest aches as the memory replays in my mind. I clear my throat, immediately feeling stupid. "Uh... Underworld demons... are you there?" I ask aloud weakly, my own voice sounding sceptical even to me. The gritty sound of my vocals echo off of what's left of the walls, and I stand there a little longer, tapping my foot. I don't know what I expected to happen when I called on Lucifer, but I honestly thought that there would be... something. A flash of light, a puff of smoke- anything. I wait impatiently for a few more seconds, seriously questioning my sanity now. Maybe, Lucifer can't be summoned- he is the most powerful evil in the universe after all, and a single angel pleading for him would be like a kitten in South Africa purring for its owner who lives in Greece. I purse my lips and turn on my heel, wondering why I ever believed for a second that I could summon the leader of the Underworld. Just as I push the door of the basement open, a low, grizzly-sounding voice cuts through the silence.

"You called on me, Raphael?"

My name rolls off of his tongue delicately, as if he's savouring the way it tastes on his lips. I turn to face Lucifer, my oxygen supply catching in my throat.

"Well, that was easy." I mutter to myself under my breath, forgetting that he also has extended hearing, and nothing I say aloud is a secret.

Lucifer appraises me lazily, reclining against the hard brick wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "My company is not usually quite so easily attainable, little angel boy, so do not take my presence for granted." He shoots me a glance that's so sharp it could cut me like a knife, so I nod once obediently. I open my mouth to start speaking, but he cuts me off.

"You see, Raphael, I do not just attend to the pleas of all humans and angels whenever they seek me- you included. I came to you this evening because I am simply curious of two things." He pauses, eyeing the pitch black bat wings cascading out from my shoulder blades. "The first; I can't help but wonder why you lost your wings, and why you are now the proud owner of demonic wings?"

My mouth pulls into a tight line as Lucifer stares at me with sparkly brown eyes. My stance shifts, but I lift my chin. "I don't find this relevant." I point out, hoping he will drop it. There is a moment of silence, and his face falls, disappointment decorating his features as he realises that I'm not planning to delve into further detail. Lucifer sighs, and when he speaks next his voice drips of boredom.

"I see. Well then, my second question to you is this; why would an angel such as yourself require my aid?" He asks, pushing himself off of the wall to take a step closer to me.

My arms fall to my sides as I contemplate how to say what I want to. I only get one shot at this, one chance to prove worthy of Lucifer's help. "A friend of mine, her soul was taken, and I need your help to locate it so I can return it to her body." I say quietly, and Lucifer's eyes widen to twice their size.

"Raphael," He chokes out in a playful voice, "do you understand the enormity of what you have just asked me to do?" He asks, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. I stare straight into him, hoping I look brave and determined.

"I know that this isn't something you usually do, and trust me, I don't ask lightly-"

"_Not something I usually do?"_ He echoes, laughter and disbelief clear in his grainy voice. "You are asking me to give _life _back to someone who was killed. This defies all of the laws of nature- it's an abomination of the natural life cycle..." He trails off, shaking his head and turning to face the wall.

I restrain myself from letting my head hang- what was I thinking? That he would just agree and Penryn would be alive again and we could all hold hands and sing happy songs? Life doesn't work like that, I should've known better.

"Give me one good reason why I should help you." Lucifer says, pursing his lips as he faces me again.

I stutter, trying to think of any good reason- nada. "I don't have a _good _reason that you will want to hear." I say after a while. "But the girl who died, she was killed trying to save my life, and if I don't save hers..." I trail off, and the desperation is plain in my voice. "I owe that to her, at least. I will do anything, Lucifer, I swear- if you take me to find her soul."

The idea of having my services in return seems to tempt Lucifer, and for a moment I allow myself to see a glimpse of hope.

Lucifer beams evilly at me.

"Very well."

* * *

_PENRYN_

I creep down the stairs in my silver stilettos, almost losing my footing on one of the creakier steps, but I steady myself before I can fall. I still find it ridiculous that in the midst of all the debris I can't find a single pair of more reasonable shoes, but I suppose any shoes are better than none when there is glass all over the place. My mood has lifted significantly since Laylah told me where Raffe is, and I have to restrain myself from bounding down, skipping all of the steps.

Suddenly I can hear the soothing murmur of Raffe's voice, and I bite my lip in sheer excitement. My hand reaches out to grab the door handle and fling it open, but another, lower pitched voice makes me stop in my tracks. I creak the door ajar, making the slit just large enough for my eye to peer through.

The sight of Raffe makes my heart jump inside my chest, but there is another man directly opposite him, facing my direction. He is tall and well built, with jet black hair and eyes the colour of chocolate. He is very handsome, but he has an edge to him that makes me want to stay away- something about his smug smile, or his sparkly eyes maybe. Raffe opens his mouth, and when he speaks his voice sounds off key, as if the events of the past couple of days have worn him down so much he can't even speak properly.

"I don't have a good reason that you will want to hear." Raffe's hollow voice rings across the room. "But the girl who died, she was killed trying to save my life, and if I don't save hers..." He stops his plea there, and I resist the urge to run and throw myself around him and tell him everything is okay. "I owe that to her, at least. I will do anything, Lucifer, I swear- if you take me to find her soul."

Lucifer? Who's... Oh. My. Lord. Lucifer? Lucifer, as in, Satan? My jaw drops with a tiny popping sound, and I duck back behind the oak door to hide, just in case they can hear it. For a while I am frozen, trying to rationalize my thoughts. Inside the room Lucifer glances at Raffe, a huge smile wrapped around his cheeks. I want to yell at Raffe that I'm safe, to not do anything stupid with _Satan, _but my muscles won't move. It feels like I'm paralysed again, my legs heavy and limp with shock.

"Very well." He agrees, surprisingly. "I will help you find her soul and then you shall provide me with something in return."

"Anything." Raffe says fiercely.

Lucifer looks smugly at the ceiling and holds his hand out to Raffe. "I will help you find her soul and in return you will worship and bow to me like the demon you have become."

My face turns from an expression of shock to a look of pure horror. I want to scream and yell, but I just... can't. Without a hint of hesitation Raffe closes the distance between them both and clasps Lucifer's hand firmly in his own.

"If that's what it takes." He says, solemnly, and something in his voice frees me from my trance. The edges of Lucifer and Raffe start to glow and shimmer, and I bolt through the door towards them. Raffe is becoming hazy, almost too dull to see now.

"Wait!" I scream urgently. "Raffe, please! I'm here..."

The last thing I see is Raffe's head turning to stare at me, mouth and eyes wide open.

"Penryn?" He calls softly, almost a whisper.

The word lingers in the air between us, and then he disappears into the blackness, taking my beating heart with him.


	5. Chapter 5

**_Hey everyone! Okay first off, thank you so much for your awesome reviews, all are appreciated a lot! Secondly, this chapter was inspired by one of my amazing best friends (you know who you are) so if she's reading this- which I know she will be since she's always so supportive- THANK YOU for being the wonderful person you are! Okay, well I know some of you guys were excited for this chapter so I'll be quiet now... Enjoy! _**

* * *

_RAFFE_

Penryn is alive.

That's my initial thought, the second being more along the lines of '_she's been dead for days Raffe, you know that.'_

A jumble of words and ideas whirl around in my head like a washing machine set on a rinse cycle. Penryn is... alive? Penryn is dead. I _saw_ the creature murder her- I saw it! But there she was in front of me a minute ago, so real, so vibrant, so _human_. My mind has to be playing tricks on me. Penryn is dead.

Isn't she?

No.

It's only then that I realize Lucifer is staring at me, an amused expression on his face. His eyes which once looked like the colour of cocoa now look like dirt, and the face that was so perfectly put together before has deteriorated into an ugly creature. "Where are we?" I ask him, momentarily distracted from my woes. I take a look at my surroundings slowly. We are underground, that much is obvious, and we are enclosed, in a dirty arched hallway. Lanterns with open flames hang on the curved walls every couple of inches, but it's still so dim it takes a second for my eyes to adjust. Lucifer ignores me and continues walking, and I notice again how much more frail he looks compared to the way he was in the basement in San Francisco.

We walk in silence until we reach a huge black gate, stretching from the top of the cave to the ground, decorated in sharp barbed wire. Lucifer grins at me, and his teeth blacken right in front of my eyes to a sickly shade of grey. He flourishes his arm and the giant gate opens, revealing all that it usually holds secret.

"Welcome to the Underworld." He says in a sickly voice, and my mouth falls open in shock.

"Thanks for the invite," I say in the cockiest voice I can muster, "but the deal's off. I was mistaken before, the girl is not dead." I try to send Lucifer a stern look with my eyes. "So I'm going back to San Francisco, if that isn't an issue." I say, taking a step towards him. Lucifer's eyes drop and he examines the foot I just moved. He looks up and smirks.

"Well, Raphael, I _would _have had no problem with cancelling our deal, however unfortunately I cannot permit you to leave now." Lucifer informs me, and I hate the smug way he lolls against the cave walls. He intakes sharply as I stare at him uncomprehendingly, and suddenly his face is an inch away from mine, so close I can smell the vile scent of his breath on my cheek. "When a _demon _steps foot on my land, he _belongs to me, _and is confined to the walls of the Underworld for all of eternity." Lucifer whispers, and I swallow, trying to understand his words. My palms sweat at my sides and I wipe them subtly on my pants, hoping he can't detect my nervousness.

"I'm not a demon." I retort as confidently as I can. "I am and always will be an angel."

Lucifer grins like a man who's just won the lottery, and there's that arrogance in his eyes again that makes me want to punch him. My fingers ball up into fists and my shoulders tense.

"Actually, _Raffe, _the demon wings on your back would beg to differ. The second your foot entered my sanctum you became property of _me._ You are a demon. And if you still don't believe me, maybe it would benefit you to know that if you were not, in fact, a demonic creature then you would have been crushed into a million pieces the second you entered my caves. No angelic being- or human, for that matter- can withstand such evil." His smile curls even wider as the blood drains completely out of my face. My body quivers with rage and shock, and my breathing releases in shaky bursts.

"I'm... I'm... stuck in the Underworld... _forever_?" I manage to choke out in disbelief, and Lucifer nods, his prior excitement suddenly gone and replaced by an expression of sheer boredom. He puts his bony hand in the crook of my arm and leads me through the gate into the Underworld. Suddenly I realize why Lucifer looks so different to when I first met him- this is Hell, the place where he doesn't have to hide. This is the only place where his real self is his most powerful self, where beauty and charm mean nothing.

Before me is a city, as huge as LA, but there is no sky- the sky is an arc of dirt, like someone has dropped a filthy bubble over the land. "You tricked me." I spit darkly, clenching my teeth. "You knew that she was alive, yet you led me here to keep me captive, to make me one of your mindless minions."

Lucifer laughs like I am an oblivious toddler who has said something completely hilarious, not at all offended by my attempt at an insult. His blazing eyes bore into me, and he speaks lowly, as if he only wants me to hear.

"Oh, little Angel Boy-" he pauses, and then corrects himself with a grin "little _Demon Boy_, fight fire with fire, and you're going to get burned." He turns in the opposite direction and begins to walk away. He's a couple of feet away when he stops, still not looking at me.

" Besides," He yells over his shoulder, "you should have known better than to strike a deal with the devil."


	6. Chapter 6

_PENRYN _

I make my way back up the stairs rapidly, sprinting through the courtyard. My mind is telling me to stop and breathe and calm down, but I can't let myself. Too much time has been wasted lately moping over everything I want but can't have, and I've realized now that moping gets me nowhere. I look down at the ground as I run, careful not to tread on something I shouldn't.

Suddenly, something cold and solid clamps down over my mouth from behind and I gurgle back a scream. I twist around in a jerky movement, preparing to perform my signature move- a solid kick to the groin- but a flash of red hair stops me in my tracks.

"Dee-Dem?" I yell breathlessly, and he wordlessly puts a finger to his lips to silence me. His clammy hands wrap around my forearm and he drags me quickly into the aerie, pressing me against the wall and completely out of sight. He glances to the left and right before fixing his stony gaze on me.

"Do you have any idea how noisy you are walking across the courtyard? Are you _trying _to get us all killed?" He snaps, and I try not to feel stung by his tone. There's something different about him that I can't quite put my finger one. Physically he's deteriorating- his hair is greasy and dull, thick purple shadows hang underneath his eyes like ghosts, and his usually mischievous smile is replaced by a mouth meshed into a single white line. But there's something off about his personality as well, as if a less lively, adventurous version of himself has surfaced.

"Sorry." I mutter, and it's only when my voice breaks on the word that I realize I'm sobbing. Dee-Dum's eyes soften and his iron grip on my arm loosens a fraction.

"What is going on? Tell me the truth, Penryn. _All of it._" He insists seriously, and I fill him in briefly on everything that has happened- leaving out the part about Raffe and my kiss, and Paige being turned into an experiment. Dee-Dum stares at me for a moment, as if trying to decide whether I can be trusted again or not. When he nods at me I know I've been forgiven for my prior betrayal at the camp, and he seems to believe my recount.

"What about you? Why are you still here- shouldn't you have left with my mother and Paige and Obi's men?" I ask in the clearest voice I can muster. I stubbornly wipe my tears away with my wrist, and Dee-Dum pretends like he doesn't notice, which I'm grateful for.

His whole body deflates, as if someone has pricked him with a pin and let all the air out. He looks at me blandly, and his hands weigh down his pockets.

"Dum is dead." He says, and I feel my eyebrows rise in surprise. "I saw an angel murder him before Obi made me move to a battle on a different site. I came back just now for his body." Dee sound almost rehearsed, as if he's saying the words for the millionth time and they no longer affect him. I place my palm on his shoulder, biting my lip.

"I'm so sorry." My voice sounds reassuring but resolute, and the tears no longer stain my cheeks. "I'll help you find his body, I promise, but I need to find Raffe first." I stand up a little straighter, dusting my hands off on my thighs, glad that my moment of weakness is now over. "Now where would Lucifer want to take Raffe?" I ask, more to myself than Dee.

Dee clears his throat behind me. "Isn't it obvious? To Hell of course... to the Underworld. If Raffe was planning to find your soul, Lucifer would take him there first to collaborate." He shrugs and I nod at him eagerly.

"Of course! I need to find out how to get there though..." I trail off, looking around helplessly for any clues.

Dee swallows loudly and clears his throat again. I turn to him, an eyebrow raised. He flushes a little and smirks, and I get the sense he's about to tell me something important.

"I... _may _have been snooping through Obi's office and found some paperwork that _may _or may not have disclosed the location of the Underworld." He says, and I resist the urge to throw my arms around him and hug him. I don't- but I do, however, grin at him like maniac.

I bob up and down in excitement and relief. Dee stares at me for a few more seconds and I practically burst with apprehension. "Well don't just stand there! Tell me how to get there!" I all but screech, and another sharp glance from Dee reminds me that I need to keep my voice down. I stare up at him with wide eyes, and he sighs but shakes his head. I pull away, feeling hurt and worried that he won't tell me.

"Nah-uh, no way. Do you honestly think I'm just going to hand the information over to you so you walk off into the sunset with Raffe and I get nothing in return?" He asks me, and I open my mouth to object, but he cuts me off again. Part of me wonders whatever happened to simple generosity. Lately nobody does a simple favour for anyone else without having ulterior motives- everybody wants something from you. But then again, this is the apocalypse, so who can afford to be generous?

I sigh, but Dee continues, his dead eyes suddenly becoming alight with fierceness. "You said that Raffe made a deal with Lucifer to find your soul because he thought you were dead, right?" Dee asks me, and I nod slowly, not seeing where he is going with this. He steps forward eagerly and places both of his hands on my arms, shaking me slightly.

"Then I'm coming with you to the Underworld. I'll lead you to where you need to be to find Raffe and then I'll speak with Lucifer. I want to bargain for my brother's soul- for his life back- just like Raffe did with you, and I'm not taking no for an answer Penryn."


	7. Chapter 7

_RAFFE_

When most people imagine Hell, they picture fire and pain and anger and hatred, but really, it's just... boring. Well, for a prisoner such as me it is anyway. The demon in the room next to mine told me yesterday, through the wall, that the Underworld does not have one form, or one existence. The Underworld shape-shifts into every creature's worst nightmare, so no two people will ever see it as the same thing. I'd asked him what he saw, and there was a pause before he replied "I see a world of humans." To me that was strange- why would anyone's worst nightmare be a world of humans? But apparently, he thought the same about what I saw when I told him.

"You see a city?" He had asked me incredulously. "As in, buildings and hotels and trains?"

I'd nodded, because it probably didn't sound like a very impressive nightmare, but I'd figured out the truth as soon as he'd told me about the Underworld's many faces. I saw a city that replicated San Francisco. And San Francisco was my own personal Hell because of two things- it was the place where I had lost my wings and seen the love of my life die. So if San Francisco isn't worthy of being my Underworld, I don't know what is.

I stare up at the black ceiling, my hands locked behind my neck. My boredom is self-afflicted—I could easily walk outside into the 'city' and find ways to amuse myself, but I'd rather just sit inside my appointed cell and think up ways to escape. I'd rather do this because I don't want Lucifer to think for a second that I might thrive down here, to give him another reason to want to keep me as his pet. Sarai, a small curvy maid appears at my door, tapping on the frame. I groan, closing my eyes for another moment and wishing her away.

"Mr Raphael, it is time for your training." Sarai says in her unusual accent. When I ignore her she totters closer, peering over me, her long blonde hair cascading over scaly shoulders. With a sigh I sit upright, scrutinizing Sarai. She is beautiful, that much I am certain, but her loveliness is marred by the wings of a bat that lay upon her shoulders. And her arms and neck are dark blue and scaly, like a fish. I nod once and fling myself off of the bed, throwing my coat over my shoulder.

I march down through the city outskirts and to the arena. Every day at precisely four pm sharp I am expected to fight a battle against one of the demon citizens to keep up my strength and sharpen my senses. After all, I am no use to Lucifer if I cannot fight. I chuck my jacket onto the ground and climb into the arena, cracking my knuckles. Most of the other fights have been easy to win- I just picture my rival as Beliel, and then I swing with all my force until the opponent is down. I'm hoping that this fight will be the same, but when I turn and see a demon double my size before me, my insides wrench.

Lucifer appears from seemingly nowhere and beckons for the fight to start. I step sideways in a circular motion, pivoting around the demon in a dangerous dance. He goes in for the first hit, straight to my head, and I block it with my forearms, taking advantage of the moment to shove my heel into his left knee. His knee cap twists in an unnatural position and it wobbles before falling. The demon crashes down with it, and after a quick knee to the head he's down on the ground, covered in dirt and mud. I wipe my hands on my jacket, pleased. Some big guys aren't as tough as they look.

"You're in good form." Lucifer appraises me, and in reply I spit at the floor near his feet. It is at that precise moment that the demon below me bounds up, swinging his fist into my jaw. My teeth bite into my lower lip and I can taste the metallic mixture of blood and saliva in my mouth. I twist around and lunge for the demon's throat, but he's too quick and grabs me by the ankle, dragging me onto the soil. My head collides so hard with the ground that for a second I'm dazed and unable to move. That second is plenty enough for the demon to finish me off, kicking and punching and clawing at my face until my body feels like one giant throbbing mess. The demon finally retreats, and I sit up slowly, the world spinning before me. Lucifer walks forward, disappointment clouding his earlier pride.

"Not in _good enough_ form though, I see." And then he walks away, leaving Sarai to hurry up to me and escort me back to my cell.

* * *

_PENRYN_

I don't know long we've been walking- maybe it's been days or merely hours, but it feels like a small eternity. I keep asking Dee how he knows that we're on the right track and whether he knows where we're going, and I get the sense that I'm irritating him to no end.

"How in the world does Raffe put up with you?" Dee asks after another one of my pointless questions. I frown and kick a pebble by my foot.

"What do you mean?" I say, looking at my surroundings. We're almost at the outskirts of the city, and the night sky is illuminated by a full, pale moon. I stare at it for longer than necessary, smiling at its familiarity- the only thing that has stayed constant in my life. As I'm basking in its glow, it suddenly seems hard to believe that under the most beautiful sky some of the ugliest things can happen. Dee snorts, rubbing a mucky hand through his greasy hair.

"Penryn, you question everything every second of every day and you _insist _in being in charge of everything. _What I mean_, is how on Earth does Raffe put up with you? He must really love you, 'cause you're driving me crazy." Dee informs me, and I poke my tongue out at him, shoving him playfully in the arm. But his words tumble around in my mind, and suddenly it gets hard to swallow. We walk in silence for a few more beats, and I can feel the tension rolling off of him as he glances sideways at me.

"So... you obviously love him too, then, if you're travelling to the Underworld to find him." Dee hints, and I roll my neck from side to side. I stare down at my chewed fingernails, not knowing what to say.

"Raffe and I... it's complicated—_we're _complicated." I squirm, praying for a change of conversation to come my way soon. Dee nods, but he doesn't seem ready to drop it just yet.

"Why is it complicated?" He asks, intentionally avoided my dagger glare. I sigh an exaggerated sound, hoping to hint at him that I'm irritated.

"Damn it Dee, we just can't be together, okay?!" I say sharply, and then immediately feel guilty for being so rude. I look up to find him staring at me, and my gaze softens as I shrug. "It doesn't matter anyway." I tell him helplessly. "_He doesn't even like me_."

Dee purses his lips and looks as if he's about to say something, but suddenly he stops, cocking his head at a sign on top of a hotel named 'L'hôtel des Fleurs'.

"This is it." He tells me, and I raise my eyebrows at him.

"Are you _sure?_" I ask dubiously, and he nods once, with certainty. His eyes are alight with ferocity, and a small smile curls on his lips

"This is it. This is how we get to the Underworld."


	8. Chapter 8

PENRYN

Dee marches in through the hotel doors, making his way to the stairwell. "What? We're taking the stairs to a magic kingdom thing?" I ask doubtfully, and Dee rolls his eyes at me.

"What were you expecting, a magic carpet?" He queries, and I roll my eyes at him.

"Wouldn't surprise me after the week I've had." I mutter, mostly to myself, but Dee grins sideways at me anyway. We walk down flights and flights of stairs until my calves are burning and my toes ache. I'm still wearing these awful silver shoes, but I'd hastily ripped off the heels a while ago, leaving me with an awkwardly bent sandal. Dee suddenly stops and stares at a blank wall.

"There's meant to be a door here." He mutters, and I'm about to make a hasty remark about how he obviously read Obi's paperwork wrong when a door actually does appear. It doesn't pop up with a puff of sparkly magic dust or anything, I just blink and suddenly it's there.

"Guess you were right." I shrug, reaching for the doorknob. I suppose things like a door appearing from nowhere should surprise me more than it does, but after the things I've seen lately, I'm willing to believe anything. Dee stares at me like I've gone insane, his thick brows curving inwards.

"What?" I ask, growing impatient. Raffe could be on the other side of this door waiting for me to come for him—what if the time we're wasting now is time I could be spending with him? Dee shakes his head, staring at the wall again.

"Penryn, I can't see a door." He says slowly, and I retreat from the wall, looking up at my companion slowly. My stomach drops, and my brain is telling me to run, to just leave Dee and get what I want. But I can't. I made a deal with him and I have to honor that. There are so many questions running through my mind but I don't even hesitate for a second.

"Maybe you just need to train your eyes." I suggest, grabbing his arm and flinging open the door, pulling him through with me. Dee gapes at the wall as if we'd just walked straight through it, which I suppose to him, we have. He stares at me as if he wants to talk to me, but I turn away on purpose, much rather preferring to leave these petty problems for another time. Because it doesn't mean anything, right? The fact that I can see the door and he can't just means I'm used to the supernatural now... right? Yes, of course that's right.

I run my hand through my dishevelled dark hair, taking in everything around me. It seems to be some kind of cave, with lanterns hanging off of the walls.

"Is it just me or is it hard to breathe in here?" Dee asks, and I look over at him with an amused expression. His face is red and he fans himself quickly, taking huge breaths.

"Don't tell me you're claustrophobic." I laugh, shaking my head. I start to walk down inside the caves, following the path of lights. Dee stays a couple of steps behind me, his breathing rough.

"It's not too late to turn back, you know." I call over my shoulder, and I hear his rugged words from a little way away.

"Need to find... Dum." He chokes out, and when I peer back I can tell there's something wrong. His face is a sickly shade of purple, eyes ten times their usual size, his chest expanding. I rush over and help him to the ground, lowering his back to lean against the cave wall.

"My chest." He moans, his head drooping to rest on his sternum, eyelids falling shut. I try to steady my own breathing, panicking just a little.

"You're gonna be fine." I soothe him, pressing my palm to his forehead. He's hot, so hot I feel the sweat running down his cheeks and dribbling onto my knees. I look around for any form of help, but we are deserted down here, utterly alone. Dee's head becomes even hotter against my hand, and my other arm reaches instinctively to check his pulse. It's faster—much faster than normal. His legs spasm and twist into unnatural positions, and I tap the bridge of my nose, trying to think of something –anything- to help.

More sweat streams down his face as his temperature rises, and his whole body shakes violently. I can't watch anymore. I turn and sprint down the path, my breath scratching the sides of my lungs. I lean over, placing my hands on my knees, and suddenly the sound of an explosion echoes through the caves. The ground vibrates beneath my feet, and I turn back to peek at Dee. My scream is shrill and overbearingly loud as a tear rolls down my cheek.

I wish I hadn't looked back.

_RAFFE_

I'm sitting on the bed in my cell talking to Sarai, when suddenly the ground starts to shake. My first thought is that it's an Earthquake, but then I realize that parallel world's don't usually get affected by Earthquakes, so I relax back down into my bed, brushing it off.

And then I hear it.

A scream.

A scream that I would recognise anywhere.

Penryn's scream, loud and clear as day.

I bolt up onto my feet, and her scream tears at me, creating holes in my heart and mind that no superhuman healing can ever fix. But if I thought that _that _pain was bad, I couldn't have been more wrong. Because at that precise moment, Lucifer's words fill my mind, and my heart sinks into my chest.

'_You would have been crushed into a million pieces the second you entered my caves. No angelic being- or human, for that matter- can withstand such evil._'

I push past a protesting Sarai and sprint as fast as I can to the gate, clinging onto the bars and screaming for her. Penryn is here. Penryn is human. No human can withstand such evil.

"Penryn! Penryn!" I yell desperately, time and time again.

Nothing answers me but silence.


	9. Chapter 9

_PENRYN_

I keep walking cautiously, waiting for the pain to start, for my throat to close up like Dee's did. I take each tentative step wondering if it will literally be my last. But so far I feel fine, and I take that as a good sign.

"Penryn! Penryn!"

The breath whooshes out of my lungs as the voice travels through the cave towards me. It's Raffe voice- and it sounds so incredibly pained that I don't even resist the urge to run to him. I let my legs push me forward until I round a corner, and suddenly he's there, behind a huge gate, looking dishevelled but gorgeous as ever. His eyes widen when he sees me, and I slow my pace as I walk up to the fence. I reach out to open the latch, and I push the left side of the gate inwards, taking a step towards him.

We stare longingly at each other for a moment before I finally find my vocals, which come out shaky and low. "Come with me." I say, and then in a smaller voice- "Please."

Raffe stares at me as if I'm the only sunrise among a thousand sunsets, and he reaches out his hand to me. "Penryn... I can't leave. I'm a demon, I'm stuck here forever." He whispers, and I try to make sense of his words, to no use.

"What?" I ask confusedly, "I thought you made a deal with Lucifer, and once you realized I was alive..."

"I tried to call it off. But he tricked me, he-"

And it is at that point that I simply can't take it anymore. The thought of him being here forever without me is too much. I sprint forward and throw myself at Raffe, and the force of my jump knocks us both to the ground. I bury my face in his shirt, taking in every inch of him- his eyes, his hair, his sweet scent. One quick glance up tells me that we are in a city pretty much exactly like the one we just left.

"The Underworld looks just like San Francisco." I say to Raffe, who is lying under me, my hand on his chest. He frowns.

"You see San Francisco as your Hell as well?" He mutters incredulously, but the end of the sentence is marred, because then I'm kissing him. And he's kissing me. And everything finally feels like it's going to be okay.

"I've missed you so much." Raffe mutters, his finger tracing patterns on my cheek. I smile at him, just as a shadow falls over us. I peer up at a man I recognise as Lucifer, and immediately I stand up, pulling Raffe with me. Raffe doesn't let go of my hand, and Lucifer stares at our interlaced fingers with sheer amusement.

"Nice of you to join us, Penryn." Lucifer addresses me, and Raffe stiffens noticeably beside me.

"Penryn was just about to leave- she's human, so she can." Raffe says confidently, and I shoot him a dagger glare—I'm not going anywhere without him.

Lucifer grins, his dark hair falling over one crinkly eye. "Well as you can see, Raphael, the girl is clearly not human. Had she been a human such as her friend- Dee, was it?-" He glances at me, and I bite so hard into my lip that I taste blood. "She would've been killed in my caves. You see, Penryn," He looks pointedly at me again. "Any human or Angel who enters my caves is incapable of withstanding the evil, and they simply explode. Give that you were not killed, I think it is easy to say that you one of us, a demon, and are bound to this land just like your companion friend." Lucifer shoots Raffe a content look, and I stare at him in alarm. Raffe does nothing, he just stares at Lucifer in shock, much like I had in the basement when I saw the two striking a deal.

"It's not true. I am human." I insist, stamping my foot like a child. Lucifer flourishes at the black Iron Gate, his eyes smiling.

"If you are human, Penryn, then please, you may leave." He nods at me, his lips curving into the grin of a snake. I take slow steps towards the fence, and my foot crosses just over the line when I hit a wall. And I can't see the wall, but it's there, stopping me from passing through. I try again, with the same result.

I turn to Raffe with a look of disbelief and finality. I open my mouth, but for a second the words don't come. And then they do, and they cut through the silence like a knife laced in blood.

"I can't leave." I say, paralysed with fear. "I'm...I'm a demon."

* * *

_RAFFE_

She's a demon.

She's a... demon? How is that possible?

"What? No! My mother's human!" Penryn screeches as I stand watching the scene unfold. Lucifer sighs at us as if we're missing something very obvious—which maybe we are. He walks over and perches on the edge of the gate, his eyes glazy.

"Maybe your mother is." He allows. "But Penryn, what do you know about your father?" He teases, and I look over and Penryn, who's face is white as paper. I feel my stomach drop to the floor.

"Penryn..." I whisper in a strained voice, turning to face her. "Penryn." I choke out again, and Lucifer turns to me, raising and eyebrow.

"Why don't _you _inform her as to why she is not completely human?" Lucifer suggests, and I look at the girl next to me, dread seeping slowly through my body. She seems detached as she stares at me, her usually warm eyes cold and heartless.

"What _am I_, Raffe?" She asks, and I blink, looking at the ground for a moment.

"Penryn, I'm so sorry." I breathe. "The night I met you—when I got my wings cut, I was on a mission. The Messenger had told me that a woman in Silicon Valley had had an affair with the Archangel Gabriel years ago. He'd said that the women had two children- two _nephilim_ children- who still lived in the area. I was supposed to find them and... and _kill _them, but then Beliel and his men cut my wings and you nursed me back to health and I was so focussed on getting my wings back that I completely abandoned the mission. It never even crossed my mind that you and Paige could have been the nephilim I was looking for." I say, reaching for Penryn's hand, but she jerks away.

"Are you lying? Did you _know _that I was nephilim the whole time? And you let me just go on believing I was a normal girl?" She yells, and tears brim over onto her cheeks, catching in her long eyelashes. I resist the urge to wipe them away, knowing that my touch is the last things she wants right now.

"No!" I shake my head violently. "Of course not! If I'd even thought for a second that you were a nephilim don't you think I would have-" I trail off, mentally cursing myself.

Penryn takes a step away; the hurt and rejection clear on her delicate face. "You would have what?" She spits. "Murdered me? Locked me up and tortured me? Go for it! Get your mission over with and just kill me now. What do you have to lose, right?" The tears are streaming down her face more rapidly now, and my heart aches to comfort her. There are a few beats of silence when I try to let her come to terms with what I've just told her, but after a while I speak quietly.

"I am not going to kill you Penryn; I don't care that you're nephilim. I don't even care if you're half garden gnome—_I love you_, Penryn. I love _you._" And I mean it. I mean everything. "We'll find a way around this like we always do. You'll be stubborn and you'll boss me around and I'll tell you that you're acting like a child, but _we will get through it._" I plead, and when I look up at her, there's resolute in her eyes.

She crosses her arms over her chest, sniffing. Her body is angled away from me, and she's peering over her shoulder at my desperate position.

"See, I want to believe you Raffe, I really do. But this-" She gestures at her surroundings, "-_this _is a world of magic and secrets and lies. So how do I know who I can really trust? I can't even trust my own mother anymore! I get that I'm the offspring of Gabriel and my mother—if I weren't than I would be able to leave the Underworld, I understand that. But now... look, I just need space, okay Raffe? And time. I need to seriously think about things and figure out what I'm willing to believe in."

And then she walks away, leaving me staring after her.


	10. Chapter 10

_PENRYN_

I sprint as fast as I can away from Raffe and Lucifer, not knowing where I'm going. My tears leave a trail of water droplets behind me, and when my vision is almost completely blurry, I fall to the ground in a heap, sobbing into my knees.

How could my mother not tell me any of this? How could she let her own daughters believe that their father had left? How could she have done this to me- to Paige? I've lived my whole life believing that Angels and Demons didn't exist, and even when I'd found out that they did exist, they were the immediate enemy. But now... now I'm one of them. I used to be proud to be a daughter of man, but I'm not even that anymore! And the nephilim- Raffe told me that they were violent, blood-thirsty creatures, but I'm not. So if I don't have the characteristics of a demon yet my family tree points out that I'm a nephilim... who am I now?

"Penryn?" I look up sharply and see Raffe peering anxiously at me. I wipe my eyes on my sleeves as he sits down opposite me, tracing his finger in the dirt. We sit there for a few moments, the tension in the air almost tangible. I stare at a yellow-orange leaf drifting down from a tree nearby, and I watch as it flutters onto the ground.

"What am I, Raffe?" I say, still looking at my leaf. "I mean, I don't resemble nephilim but I'm not human. So what am I?" I ask distantly. Raffe sighs and I feel the warmth of his fingers on my knee.

"Penryn, it doesn't matter who your father is, you are human. You're human because that's how you've lived your whole life- with human beliefs and values. You're human because of what you stand for. I know that you're still rooting for the humans to win this war, and in a strange way I am too." I raise my eyebrows and he smiles, glad to be getting at least a response, no matter how slight.

"You have a human heart, and that's all that matters." Had the apocalypse not happened and Raffe been a Senior in high school with me, I would've laughed at that line, telling him to find another girl to woo with cheesy pick-up lines. Now though, having a human heart seems to count for a lot. "Let me take you to my cell." He offers, and I look uneasily at the floor for a moment. "You can rest there, and I'll find somewhere else to stay." I glance up and see him smiling, and he's so perfect it almost hurts. I nod curtly and follow him back into the city. He leads me to a row of rooms, pushing the second one open and beckoning for me to enter. I step in and sit down gingerly on the bed.

"I'll be around, if you need me." Raffe says and I nod again. He bounces on the balls of his feet as if deciding whether to say something else, but eventually he walks out swiftly, leaving me to my own devices. I crash down onto the cot and curl the pillow up to my chest, squeezing it to release some of my tension. When that doesn't work I roll onto my stomach and place the pillow beneath my face. I inhale as best I can and the scream at the top of my lungs, hoping the cushion will muffle my cries.

"Hey, are you okay?" The man's voice comes from through the wall, and it has a soothing edge to it. I wipe my eyes and sniff.

"Where are you?" I ask, looking around the cell for some unexpected roommate.

"I'm in the cell next to you. On the right."

I walk over and kneel down beside the wall, placing both my palms on the black paint.

"Oh, well, no. I don't think I am okay." I admit, and there's silence for a moment from the other side.

"Well why not?"

I whimper, deciding to just let myself feel sorry. "Kind of a case of lost identity." I say wryly, lying down flat on the floor. I close my eyes and breathe deeply, my hair splaying out around me like a fan.

"Nothing is ever lost for good, Penryn. Maybe it's misplaced- but never lost." He says in a wise, tired voice. I wonder briefly how he knows my name, and what his own is, but I don't voice my questions. I relax into the hard floorboards and let sleep drift me away into a land where my problems don't exist- at least, for a while anyway.

* * *

_RAFFE_

I can hear her screaming inside, and there is nothing more I want to do than run in and hold her. Maybe she would let me, but I don't try. I've been thinking about our latest discovery, and I realized that even though Penryn is aware that Gabriel is her father, I'm not sure she has remembered yet that Gabe is dead. He was shot from the sky in front of millions of humans- including Penryn herself. It sends a shiver down my spine to think of her unknowingly watching her father get killed, and I run my hand through my dark hair, heaving a sigh.

We also have more pressing issues. Like how we're going to get out of here. Just then Sarai pads up to tell me that I still need to attend training, but I motion that I'm staying outside Penryn's room, to protect her. Sarai bites her tongue and leans down, hesitantly placing a piece of paper beneath my hand. I assume it's just another one of her strange kindnesses- she has a habit of giving me things I don't particularly want. She nods once, and then leaves me to my own devices again.

Things are travelling in a downward spiral. And quickly. We need to get out of here and finish this damn war between humans and Angels once and for all. But how? Neither of us can leave if we tried, and even if there were a way we wouldn't know where to start to find it. Sarai's paper rustles and catches my eye, and I lean over to grab it.

_I know a place where you can come and go as you please. Come to my quarters at 7pm sharp. Dispose of this note with fire. _

I look in the general direction Sarai had just left in, and then I crumple the note up and toss it into one of the fiery lanterns that act as streetlights.

Is it really possible?

Tonight, do we escape?

* * *

**Hey everyone, quick footnote... Thanks so much for all your awesome reviews, they keep inspiring me to write! Well, I hope you're enjoying this story so far, the next chapter some pretty important things will happen, so I may update tomorrow or it may be the day after! If you guys have any suggestions or anything you particularly want to see (other than more Raffryn moments, which are coming soon I promise!) don't be afraid to PM me or comment! :) Thanks again guys!**


	11. Chapter 11

_RAFFE_

I burst through her door at precisely 6:45pm, dark circles hanging underneath my eyes. I wonder whether Penryn has had any sleep at all lately, and since I haven't, I would guess she hasn't either. She's lying down on the floor next to the wall, but her eyes are open and she's staring blankly at the ceiling. I slide to my knees beside her, touching her arm gently. It's only then that I realize my sword is next to her as well, and I push it as hard as I can so that the strap slides and settles around her thin shoulders. My gaze lingers on it, and it hurts how much I miss my loyal silver companion.

"Penryn?" I call to her, and she blinks in response. I nudge her softly, and her body wobbles as if made of jelly. At first I panic, my mind jumping to conclusions about what the demons of the Underworld might have done to her, but then her eyes flutter closed and she mutters "So tired, Raf..." in a quiet, slurred voice, and I smile. She's not harmed; just exhausted. She looks so peaceful while she sleeps, as if she's still just a mere teenager who lives a completely normal life.

I'm still smiling as I scoop her up into my arms, her long hair dangling over my elbow, and I swipe her shoes up from the floor with my other hand. I hug her closer to me for just a second, burying my face in her hair and trying to memorise this moment. If there's anything I've learnt over the last few weeks, it's that we can't control or predict our future, so we have to cherish the present while it's still here. I trace her lavender eyelids with my pinkie finger, and then her petite nose, her cheeks, and finally, her red lips. I stare at her and for a moment I wonder how it's possible that any one person- nephilim, human or otherwise- could be so perfect inside and out.

I shield her body with mine as we trek through the streets of the Underworld, as if I can protect her from all the evil things in the world just with my touch. We arrive at Sarai's quarters just on time, and even though I'm tempted to wake her up, I decide to let her sleep for just a little longer. I knock quietly on Sarai's door with my foot, and it opens immediately, Sarai's head bobbing nervously from side to side- checking to see that no one is looking before she lets us in. I hurry inside and she gives me a stern look as she places a bony finger to her lips, telling me to keep hushed.

I follow her down a long hallway with doors on every surface, and eventually she stops at the very end one. "Back before evolution when Lucifer was the only Demon on the planet, he found this land and wanted to use it to create the Underworld. However, he was alone and unhappy, so he tried to bring humans down here only to find that they could not enter his world without dying. So, Lucifer created this spell-bound passageway so that he could bring humans down into the Underworld without getting killed by the pressure of evil. Then, once they were on the land, he would turn them in demons so that they would be vanquished to Hell forever, never allowed back on Earth. Follow the tunnel and it will lead you back to the surface of the Earth. There, you can both escape." She smiles at me, and I hold her gaze for a moment.

"Thank you, Sarai, for everything." I tell her, but she looks at me with uncertainty.

"Hold on, Mr. Raphael. I told you this passageway was created for _humans_ to come and leave. Penryn is half human- she has mortal blood in her veins, so she shall be able to leave. But you, Raffe, you have the wings of a bat- you are true demon." Sarai tells me sadly, and I feel my pulse start to rise. I'm speechless, but at the same time, at least there is hope for Penryn to get out of here alive, to see her sister and her mother again. I'm about to lean over and wake Penryn up, when Sarai stares at me very seriously.

"If you should, however, happen to _remove _your wings, than you would be practically human again..." She trails off, and for a split second I can hear my heart throbbing in my ears. It takes a moment for me to comprehend what she is telling me, and the nerves in my body tingle like someone has set me alight.

I take a deep breath and push the dark hair away from Penryn's ears. I feel her back for my sword, and I rub the smooth metal with my forefinger.

"Penryn," I whisper hoarsely, "you have to wake up. I need you to cut my wings off."

* * *

_PENRYN_

"You want me to do what?!" I all but screech as my eyes fly open. A small part of my mind notes that Raffe is holding me, and I wriggle free so that I can look into his oceanic blue eyes. Raffe points to his sword and glances at me.

"You have to cut off my wings." He says hollowly, and I feel my eyes widen. Sarai runs me through everything she's apparently already told Raffe, and I clutch at my stomach, feeling lost. As much as I hate to admit it, cutting of Raffe's wings would be like cutting off my own arms- I can't hurt him like that. But when I look up and see the blatant resolve in his misty eyes, I nod at him slowly. I pull the sword from my shoulder, raising it above my head. Raffe closes his eyes, and a single tear slides down my cheek onto his knee. I count to three slowly in my head.

One...

Two...

Three...

The sword slams down with more force than I thought I had in my entire body, and it slices through Raffe's wing with a sharp ripping sound. My face screws up as Raffe grits his teeth, his body contorting. I can see how much it's hurting him, and I want so badly to make the pain go away- but I can't, I have to keep going. I repeat the same process, more tears falling onto Raffe's legs.

One...

Two...

Three...

The sword comes down again, and as soon as the deed is done I fling it to the ground where it clatters, not wanting to touch it ever again. I drop to my knees and cradle Raffe's head in my arms. He looks up and smiles crookedly. "Anyone would've thought I was the one cutting off your wings with the amount of crying you're doing." He whispers, and I laugh a shaky sound. How could I have ever doubted Raffe? How could I have ever believed that he knew I was nephilim the whole time? He would never do that to me, I can see that now. Even if he had done all of those things, cutting off his own wings just to keep me safe rules out everything on that list.

"You need to hurry." Sarai urges, and I stand up slowly, pulling Raffe with me. His back is bleeding so I peel off my jacket and tie it around his chest, hoping to clot some of the blood. His huge wings lie in a twisted puddle on the ground, and Sarai smiles at me with sympathy in her eyes. She pushes us gently towards the door and I thank her, walking through into the darkness. The door slams closed behind us, and Raffe and I stutter through the tunnel, hand in hand. I can hear his soft groans as we walk, but I can also tell that he's trying to hide his pain from me.

We walk for a long time until finally, the first rays of sunlight burst through the tunnel. I stop dead in my tracks and throw my arms around Raffe, and even though he yelps when I touch his back, he pulls me even tighter to him, engulfing me in his arms.

"We made it." I whisper into his shirt, and he breathes a sigh of relief against my hair.

"That, we did." He smiles, and then we walk out into the open air.

I laugh, twirling around in circles and staring up at the sun, embracing its warmth. I jump up and down and dance like a child as Raffe watches me, a smile on his face. I reach the base of a huge oak, about to start climbing when suddenly I hear footsteps behind me. I twist around to look, and when the figure steps in front of the sun, blotting it out, I gasp.

"Well, I knew it was only a matter of time before I met the two of you again." Laylah says happily, clasping her hands together in joy. She turns to me, her dark hair swishing around her like flames. "Remember that deal we struck in my room Penryn? The one where I tell you his location and in return you remove yourself from his life?" She asks me, and I begin to feel a little faint, my prior excitement to be home quickly fading. Raffe looks at me with a mixture of shock, pain and accusation, and I try to ignore it.

Laylah unfolds her arms and sticks her hand out, palm up.

"Yes, well, sweetheart, I'm here to collect."


	12. Chapter 12

_PENRYN_

I stare at Laylah in shock, my whole body pulsating with anger. Seconds ago I was immersed in the happiness of being free; but now, not so much. Raffe turns to me, his dark hair sweeping across his forehead. "You did _what_?" He asks with such rage that I can't bring myself to look at him. I hastily push my hair in front of my shoulders, trying to hide the heat rising into my cheeks.

In front of me Laylah laughs a high pitched, squeaky squeal that makes me cringe like she has just run her nails down a chalk board. I bite my raw, fleshy lips and stare at Laylah. I want to hate her, to tell her that I owe her nothing; but she's right, I made a deal with her. She smiles at me with straight white teeth, and for a second I seriously consider knocking them out of her pretty mouth.

I turn to Raffe and shrug, my eyes low. "She helped me find you, and in return I promised that I would keep my distance from you." When I glance up his mouth is set into a thin line, and he seems unsure whether to be happy that I rescued him or mad that I made a deal with Laylah, of all people. He shakes his head at me and then, while still watching me, tells Laylah "Maybe Penryn is capable of keeping away from me; but at this point, I honestly don't think that I am capable of staying away from her."

My expression softens as his words sink in, and I stand there for a moment wishing that I could reach out and touch him, knowing that I can't. Laylah breathes heavily and furiously, nostrils flaring.

"That's irrelevant." She snaps. "She needs to stay away from you- that was the deal." She says stubbornly, and I sigh in defeat. Even though it hurts, deep down I know that it doesn't matter anymore that I can't be with him; I rescued him, he's safe, and that's all that matters. Besides, I need to focus on finding my mother and Paige again. There's no doubt in my mind that my mother will be up to some mischief, and I still owe her an explanation as to my dead-but-not-actually-dead scare. Actually, come to think of it, I still owe _Raffe _an explanation as to my dead-but-not-actually-dead scare.

Raffe shakes his head vigorously, his eyebrows furrowed. "What is the point of this Laylah? What are you trying to achieve?" He takes a step forward so that he's up in her face, and when he speaks his voice is strangely calm but menacing. "Do you honestly believe that something as insignificant as distance is going to stop me from being in love with her? Do you think that if I can't see her or talk to her I will stop caring? _Do you honestly think-_"Raffe throws his head back and laughs a short, non-humorous sound, "that I would ever fall for _you_?"

For a split second I am stunned. Raffe has never said he loves me before- ever. The last time I checked he '_didn't even like me'. _I brush my fingers through my hair and watch the two people in front of me. Laylah looks as if she's just been slapped, but she redeems herself quickly.

"You know, Raphael, you should really be more grateful to me, since I rescued you from Hell." She says wryly, and I can't help but give her a sassy look, my inner teenaged girl shining through momentarily.

"What are you talking about? I don't recall _you _coming down into Hell with me to save him." I point out, and Laylah rolls her eyes daintily, as if she is the only intellectual amongst a group of uneducated fools.

"Oh, sweetheart," She chuckles, "all you did was get there- I did all the hard work. Trust me; down there maids don't just suddenly decide to help out strangers. Let's just say I have a friend living in the one of the cells whom I managed to convince to show Sarai the secret passageway. And then I had to rely on Sarai to do the rest of the dirty work, but she had been one of the original human's smuggled into Hell and turned into a demon, so she was one of the more compassionate ones." Laylah pauses for a brief second as if to make sure that we're taking it all in, but I stare at her like she's crazy. I guess to some extent, she is. "Anyway I knew that once she saw how miserable you both were she would use her new knowledge of the passageway to help you both escape. And now, here you are." She finishes her story with a little hair flip, and I glare at her in disbelief.

"Why would you help us?" Raffe asks, taking a step away slowly.

Laylah smiles sweetly, and it's exactly that kind of sugary sweetness that makes me want to be sick. "Well, I couldn't have my little Raffe down there forever now could I? That wouldn't have been fair for me, if I helped out Penryn and got nothing in return. So the only way I could assure that she held up her part of the deal was if I rescued you. In the beginning I had assumed that she was killed in the caves like the red-head boy, and then I found at who she really is. I was willing to leave Penryn down there, but I knew you wouldn't leave without her so I had to make sacrifices." She sighs, and then stares at me with pure hatred and repulsion. "Besides, she's easily disposable."

Raffe clears his throat, and reaches out his hand for me. I take it hesitantly, and Laylah's eyes blaze. "Well, thank you for your aid." Raffe says quietly. "But I'm afraid it's not possible for you to receive your end of the bargain." He tells her, and then turns to walk away, dragging me with him.

"I was afraid you might say that." Laylah trills out from behind us, and I watch her slowly, feeling tired physically and emotionally. The gentle pressure of Raffe's hand on mine is enough to keep me sane, but only barely. "This is why I had to concoct a Plan B. To escape Hell you had to cut your demon wings off, correct?" She asks, and Raffe and I both nod, even though this doesn't really involve me.

'Well then I shall give you a choice. You can keep the bargain, stay with me and leave the girl alone for good, _or _I shall call Beliel right now to come and kill you both." She grins evilly. "And he will come, because when Penryn stabbed him with the sword he became very angry, and he is looking for revenge. Now, last I heard, it is extremely hard to fight an angry demon without any wings or a sword, Raffe. So make your decision. Me or Beliel." Every fibre of her being screams _smug_ and I want to kill her, I want to have her blood on my hands.

Raffe's expression is practically the same as I feel- ferocious and blood-thirsty. Laylah waits patiently and Raffe walks over to me, pushing my dark hair behind my ears. "Go and find your family Penryn. I have to go with her, to protect you." He whispers, leaning his forehead against mine. I close my eyes as he speaks, feeling his cool breath on my lips. "I'll be back for you, I promise." Raffe says solemnly, and then his voice is even more hushed and I have to strain my ears to hear him. "This isn't goodbye." He swears, and I nod, even though I don't completely believe it. He leans forward slowly and kisses my cheek, pressing his soft lips to my cheekbone.

"I love you, Penryn Young."

And then he's gone without a trace, as if he never even existed in the first place.


	13. Chapter 13

_PENRYN_

I stare at the spot where Raffe has disappeared, dumbfounded. How is it that I only just rescued him and yet he is gone _again_? Then again, it is my own fault- I knew what I was getting myself into when I struck that deal with Laylah. I was just so _sure _that since he didn't love me, I would be able to rescue him and then rid him from my life- besides, he didn't even like me so he wouldn't want to see me once I saved him, right? But now, after what he's just told me, how am I supposed to let him walk out of my life again? My hands knot into my hair and tug lightly, like I used to do during school exams when I couldn't remember the answers I'd been revising.

"Think! Think!' I urge myself, but no plans want to conjure up in my mind.

"Penryn?" My head whips around at the sound of the voice, but I can't find a face to place it with. My eyes scan the trees and the woods, searching for someone—anyone. "Down here." The voice croaks out, and my attention is brought down to the ground. About twenty feet away is a large but crumpled figure, and he crawls on all fours like a toddler.

"Who are you?" I ask cautiously, taking a few steps towards the person. I squint through the dust to see his face, but I have to take another couple of steps before I can even make out his features. Eventually I am a few feet away, and I gape at the figure lying on the ground in front of me.

"Gabriel?" I gasp. At least, it _looks _like Gabriel, but how could it be? Gabriel was shot from the sky! The man stands up slowly, and as he moves his shirt shifts further up his spine, revealing to huge red slashes—right where his wings should be. I take a huge step away, rocking back on my heels, mouth hanging open.

"You." I whisper. "You're meant to be dead." I can feel my eyes glued open, and I stare at Gabriel with fear. He smooths out his wrinkled shirt and bites his lip, wisps of hair stuck to the sweat matting his forehead.

"I nearly was." Gabriel tells me, taking a step towards me as I take one back. He lifts his palms to me as if in surrender. "Let me explain, Penryn, everything." He pleads, and I shake my head vigorously, a sinking feeling spreading in my stomach.

"No!" I explode. "Just... no! Do you _know _what I've had to deal with over the past few weeks?" I spit. "First the world gets invaded by creatures I once thought were mythical, then I see an angel kidnap my little sister and turn her into a monster, and not to mention the fact that I just went into Hell to save the enemy!" Gabriel opens his mouth to say something but I cut him off, my voice growing loud. "I saw Dee get killed in front of my very eyes, and then I find out that my mother had an affair with an Angel and not only am I inhuman, I'm half Angel! Raffe just went off with Laylah and now _this. _I can't take it anymore dammit!" I scream, thrashing my arms violently against the air.

Gabriel stares at me coolly, waiting for my rant to be over. I take a steady breath and close my eyes. When I re-open them the Angel is staring at me, one eyebrow raised.

"Are you quite done yet?" He asks, crossing his arms over his chest.

I nod once obediently.

He smiles at me gently, and my teeth gnaw into my lips. The wind swirls tendrils of my dark hair around my cheeks, whipping and biting into my face as I push it away.

"Let me explain, Penryn. To start with, I truly did love your family, I promise. The night I got shot from the sky I was on my way to visit you, to warn you that Raffe was coming to search for you. He had never come close to finding you before, so that's why I never saw fit to come and see you—as long as you were safe, it didn't matter how I felt." He says quietly, and my eyes search his for a moment. How can it be that this man is my father? He's more foreign to me than any overseas country, and I've never even been outside of America before. And how am I meant to believe him when I have nothing to go by?

The more I stare at him, the more I can see the resemblance between us. The tall, slender figure; dark hair that curls in loose spirals at the ends; big dark eyes and a mischievous smile. "But then the humans spotted me and shot me in the stomach. I fell to the ground but survived... barely. A street gang found me laying there and cut my wings off, planning to sell them or something." Gabriel's voice is full of raw disgust and distaste, and I wonder if I should feel the same way.

"Lucifer found me and scared the gang away, dropping my broken wings and leaving them behind. I dragged myself over and picked them up." His eyes turn hazy as he recounts his memories, barely even noticing that I'm here anymore. "Lucifer promised that he would heal me, and I went without question, knowing I was sure to die if I stayed where I was. So I went with Lucifer and he snuck me into his Lair through the secret passageway. But then he locked me in that cell, and I was too weak to escape. Laylah called me and told me about her deal with you and everything that had happened, and immediately I knew I needed to help you. So I told Sarai about the passageway and how to get you and Raffe through it into freedom, and she helped you like I wanted her to. What I hadn't banked on was her setting me free as well." He shrugs and looks around as if he's never seen the Universe before.

"Wait..." I say slowly, looking up. "So, you were the person talking to me through the wall?" I ask incredulously, and Gabriel smiles a secret smile, nodding.

"I wanted to talk to you, to get to know you, even though I knew I shouldn't. I was dying to help you with your problems, to find out how you felt... how you felt about me, and Raffe, and the world of supernatural." He says and takes a step towards me. He reaches out and places his hand on my shoulder, and I try not to flinch.

"Penryn, I know that it's hard to believe, but all I ever wanted was for you and Paige to be safe. You are my daughters, and someday I hope that you will both think of me as your father." He whispers, bowing his head. It takes me a moment to digest all of this, and I find myself staring opened-mouthed at him, unsure what to say in return. "Which is why," he carries on, a little louder now, "I'm going to prove it to you—how much you mean to me, that I've always been watching over you." He bends over and picks up a crumpled package that I hadn't even realized was there. "You love Raffe more than anything, don't you?" Gabriel asks, and I find myself nodding sub-consciously. Gabriel smiles and holds the package out to me. "Then please, give him these, as a gift from me."

I take the package carefully, unwrapping a small fraction of the paper. I gasp, clutching the present to my chest.

Inside is the feathery, down remainders of Gabriel's wings.


	14. Chapter 14

**_Hi people of Earth! I just wanted to say I'm super sorry for the late updating I've got so many rehearsals and concerts and competitions this week and next that it's all just kind of crazy. Anyway will try to update at least every second day! Thanks for all your awesome reviews and for understanding! Hope you like it! :)_**

* * *

_PENRYN_

"W-what?" I stutter, staring bewildered at the wings in my arms, cradling them like a child.

Gabriel smiles, and he tilts his ear slowly to the side. "They're Raffe's wings now. However, Penryn, I do have a condition..." He trails off, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Why is there _always _a condition—even with my own father? "Laylah is right. Her intentions may not be, but what she's doing is. You should stay away from Raffe, Penryn. I understand that you love one another, but don't you think it would be easier for both of you if you let each other go?" Gabriel asks me, and when I look into his eyes, they're filled with nothing but the concern for his daughter's wellbeing.

"How do you think Raffe feels?" Gabriel carries on. "As an Angel confined to the Earth because of you? He's meant to fly free, not be bound to human legs." He gives me one of those parental authoritative glances that I've never received from my mother before, but then he sighs, sounding tired. "I'm not ordering you to do anything—I haven't been around, I don't have the credibility to do that. But I'm just saying; think about yourself _and _Raffe's best interest before you make any crazy, rash decisions. Okay?" He smiles a watery attempt at a smile, and I nod once, my eyebrows knitting together.

I run through the various ways to find Raffe and give him his wings, but given that he told me he would come back for me, the best thing that I can do is probably try to find my mother and Paige. Once I know that they're safe I'll give Raffe his wings and voila! Happily ever after... sort of. I tell Gabriel an awkward goodbye, and he replies that he promises to see me again soon, and I set off down an unknown path to find my mother and Paige.

_RAFFE_

I should have known that Penryn would do something like this. She's irrational, thoughtless, impulsive and stubborn... but she's also the most caring, loyal, compassionate person I've ever met. And I can't afford for her to get hurt if Beliel comes searching for us—Penryn Young will not die trying to save me. I won't allow it. I track Laylah's heel like an obedient puppy, deep in thought.

"Hurry up." She snaps, and I quicken my pace. Things are always so complicated, no matter where I am- Earth or Heaven or otherwise- trouble never seems to be far behind.

"Laylah, where are we going?" I ask tiredly, suddenly sick and tired of everything. I find it amazing how whenever I'm not near Penryn my mood drops and I become impatient with practically anyone. She shoots me an annoyed glance that could cut through glass.

"Will you _shut up_, Raffe?" She snarls, and again I lapse into silence. This is ridiculous. Since when do I, Raphael, take orders from _Laylah_?

"Look, if you don't tell me where we're going than the deal's off. You can go ahead and fetch Beliel; I'll take him down once and for all." There's a new to edge to my voice that I don't quite know what to think of—a sense of finality. Laylah sighs exasperatedly, her lips meshing into a thin white line.

"Don't you see, Raffe? I am _not _the enemy here! I've been on your side the whole time." She all but shrieks, and I feel my eyebrows shoot up. "I didn't give your wings to Beliel; he stole them off of me! And to be honest I wish that you and Penryn could be together, I really do, but I'm not about to let you throw your life away like I watched Gabriel do with Penryn's mother. "

I stare at Laylah uncomprehendingly for a moment, crossing my arms. She sighs and sits down on the dusty floor, crossing her long legs. "Raffe, before I met you I was with Gabriel. We were happy together—but then he met Penryn's mother and he fell in love in an instant, and I was forced to stand there and watch as everything he had achieved in his life melted away. It's forbidden for humans and Angels to be together, but he kept up a relationship with the human and forced me to keep it a secret. Raffe, I saw how much it tore him apart when he had to leave his family for fear of being caught. I saw how it killed him that he couldn't see his children and live a normal life with his wife. And eventually I met you and I fell in love and I thought that I had a fresh start..." She trails off, staring at me with tears in her big eyes. For the first time in a very very long time, there is no malice or sarcasm in her eyes. She is telling me everything, no restraints.

"But now I'm watching it happen all over again! I never wanted to hurt anyone; I never wanted to be cruel or selfish! I just know what humans can do to Angels like you, and that made me hate Penryn. I hated the power she held over you, the fact that you would do anything for her. It may not have worked out for us as partners, but you're still my friend Raffe. I still want to protect you. So forgive me, for anything that I may have done to turn you against me, but I did it all for you, I swear."

Laylah's words take a while to sink in, and when they do I have no idea what to say.

"What would you have done?" I ask her eventually. "If you were Gabriel?"

She stares at me for a long time, taking deep breaths to steady herself. Finally she shrugs. "I don't know. I suppose I would weigh up what was more important—being and Angel or being in love."

My whole body tightens. Somehow I knew that this would happen, that there would come a day where I'd have to choose.

"I know what's more important to me—what I choose for myself right now." I say firmly, but my voice wavers, and maybe I am not so sure.

"What?" Laylah asks monotonously, her prior animated eyes now flat again.

I close my eyes and take a huge breath, feeling tears slide into my eyelashes.

"I choose to..."


	15. Chapter 15

_RAFFE_

"Are you certain that this is what you want?" Laylah asks me, and I take a huge breath before nodding.

"Yes. I can't just _not _be..." I trail off, and Laylah stares at me expectantly. "I can't just _not _be an Angel, okay? I've been an Angel my entire life—I don't know how to live as anything else." I admit, and Laylah smiles, instantly relieved.

The words taste sour as they leave my mouth, but I know I'm making the right decision. Penryn will only ever be human, no matter whether Angel blood is in her veins or not. She deserves to live a normal human life, to grow up and fall in love and have human children—that's what she needs. I don't belong in her world, just look at what happened to Gabriel and her mother! I won't let what happened to her mother happen to her to. Penryn Young will _not _miss out on being mortal just because of me.

"Call Beliel, Laylah. I think it's about time that I got my wings back." Within a second of the words leaving my mouth Laylah nods happily and sets to work on summoning the demon. I slump down a nearby tree and place my head in my hands. Before Penryn, things were simpler. I was an honoured Angel who ridded the world of evil half-beings; I was appreciated and somehow, I was fairly happy. But then I met her and suddenly everything became confusing. No longer did being an Angel matter—all that mattered was her. And that's why it hurts so much that I can't stay with her. _She _is the reason why I am alive. _She _is the purpose of my entire existence. So if I can't be with her, _how do I carry on? _

This must all sound ridiculous, given the fact that I just chose Angelism over being with her, but I am doing this for her. So that she can be happy and normal. With a tortured groan my hands curl into fists and I squeeze my eyes shut. All I want is to be able to love her without feeling guilt or pain or anger. Is that so much to ask?

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

My eyes snap open and I scramble to my feet. In front of me is Beliel, my wings protruding gloriously from his shoulder blades, a smug smile on his face. Without even a word I launch myself at him, and our bodies collide, sailing through the air and landing with a thud on the ground. Beliel swings his fists around uncoordinatedly, momentarily blinded by the dust that erupts around us like a sandstorm. I take advantage of the moment to surge my knee into his stomach, and Beliel doubles in on himself. I try to stand up and regain my balance, but hands lock around my ankles, pulling me to the ground again. My teeth smash against one another as my jaw hits the rock solid dirt, and Beliel laughs, worming around me to wrap his bony claws around my throat.

I gasp for air as my oesophagus closes in, and I can just make out the crazy, blood-hungry expression on Beliel's face. I struggle to push him off, my legs kicking and kneeing thin air, and it doesn't take long for black dots to fill my vision. Blood rushes into my face, heating my cheeks, and for a second, I truly believe that I'm going to die.

But then all of the pressure releases, and I haul the air back into my lungs, crawling away from the scene as fast as I can. It takes a few moments for my vision to clear up, and when it does I stare at Beliel, lying crumpled on the floor. He's not dead but unconscious, and Laylah stands over him, gaping at her weapon in her hand as if it's on fire. She holds Beliel's sword in her small palm, and passes it to me slowly.

"This is what you wanted." She says, her lips barely moving. "Take your wings back."

_PENRYN _

A piercing shriek rips through the air, and I clutch the wings closer to my chest protectively, stopping dead in my tracks. It's a man's scream, that much is obvious. My heart pounds as I rack my brain. What do I do? What if Raffe needs me? That thought is all it takes to send me sprinting back through the woods. I run as fast as my legs will take me, all the while holding onto the soft wings as if they are a child who needs to be nurtured.

I sprint faster and faster until my lungs feel as if they have been punctured. _Keep running_, I instruct myself firmly, pushing myself to go further. I don't know what happens at this moment, but something inside of me changes. My legs suddenly don't feel as tired, my breathing is steadier, and I can see everything more clearly. I don't question it—I embrace it with warm, open arms. I make a sharp turn to my right, following the sound of the cries.

And then I stop.

Because Beliel is on the floor in front of me, broken and fragile.

Laylah stands behind him, staring at her hands in shock.

And Raffe kneels on the floor, cradling snowy white wings in his arms. He looks up at me and his eyes widen, but he doesn't say anything.

Silently I hold out my hands, the wings in plain view.

"These are for you."


	16. Chapter 16

**_I'M SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE !*RUNS AND HIDES UNDERNEATH BED* But I was super busy and kind of, sort of, slightly had writer's-block. So anyway I hope you all enjoy it! PS. you may need tissues if this scene has the effect I would like ;) _**

* * *

_RAFFE_

Silence.

More silence.

An awful, horrendously long, almost tangible silence fills the space between Penryn and I, and my mouth hangs wide open. I cannot find any words whatsoever. The only thing that runs through my mind is the cruel, cruel irony of it all. I've gone months unable to find Angelic wings and suddenly two pairs show up at once. Typical.

A few feet away Beliel groans loudly, a small sob escaping his mouth as well. Laylah leans over and kicks him firmly in the stomach, and he doubles over, writhing on the dirt. Penryn glances over at Beliel, her face completely blank. She places the wings in her arms gently on the floor and then turns around, scuffing the dirt with her shoe.

"You've _got _to be kidding me." She mutters breathily, and I can tell from the way that her jaw clenches that she's irritated. "Well this is just wonderful," She says, turning to face me. "Gabr—my _father _just gave up his wings for you, and now you don't even need them."

I raise my eyebrows, wondering why Gabriel would do that for me. I mean, I knew the Angel, but we were never particularly close. We never said more than a simple 'hello' when passing in flight. But giving me his wings—that was the most honourable thing any Angel could do for another.

"Maybe they need not go to waste." Laylah chimes in, and it's only then that I remember she is still here. Penryn and I turn to her, curiosity and doubt strewn across our faces. Laylah flips her hair and smiles nervously, and I can tell instantly that whatever she is about to say is probably not something that I will want to hear. She picks at a ruby-red painted fingernail and looks up at me from underneath her long dark lashes.

"Ever since I was a little girl, I always wanted to be an Angel." Laylah hints, and Penryn's eyes widen noticeably. I shake my head vigorously, biting my lip. Laylah as an _Angel_? No. No way. _Nada. Non. Ei. Nie._ No matter what she claims I will always believe her to be a creature of evil. I look up to the Heavens for guidance, and it is only then that I realize night has fallen over this hemisphere of Earth. The stars sparkle like crystals and the moon hangs full and low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over all those who stand beneath. I close my eyes for a split second, just long enough to imagine that I am flying amongst those stars, so high up that Earth is but a speck of dust in the distance.

I long to fly again, to feel the freedom that being airborne brings—the rush of wind against my cheeks, the whip of my clothes against my skin, the breath-taking scenery when I look down and see what I have just left behind me. I wish that I could just take off right now, leave Earth and all of its complications and never come back. But I know deep down that I will never be able to do that. Because there is one thing and one thing alone binding me here—and she's standing right in front of me, completely unaware of how strong my hold to her is.

"So... what do you think?" Laylah asks shyly, bringing me back to the present. I bite my lip and shrug.

"I'll think about it Laylah." I say, and her eyes drop to the floor. "But it's getting late; we need to set up camp for the night. We'll talk more in the morning."

* * *

_PENRYN_

Sometimes I wish that I could take off and never come back. I wish that I could run away to the Mediterranean and live amongst the people there, learning their ways and their habits. Because this place—San Francisco, Silicon Valley—it holds so many of the memories that I wish I could just forget.

Yet I can't, because of the one person right in front of me.

That one person is my only weakness. As long as he still loves me there is nowhere that I can run, nowhere that I can hide from the things I want to forget. Raffe is a memory, a piece of the past that I can't let go of—because he's also my present.

A fire crackles by my feet and I stare at the flames, wishing that I could be as wild and free as they are. It's such a strange feeling to have the whole world at your feet, yet to feel captive. This Earth that I have grown up on, have always wanted to explore, to travel around—now all it is is a cage, holding me back. I'm trapped here. When Raffe gets his wings back and flies away, I will still be _here_, trying to piece back together the place that used to be my home.

"Penryn." Raffe whispers, staring at me through the fire. His handsome face is glowing orange and red, but even without the flames his irises would be burning. "Penryn, you know that I love you, right?" He asks me, and I nod, not lifting my eyes to his. He lets out a breath of air, sending sparks from the fire shooting off in all different directions. "I... this is harder than I thought." He admits, running a hand through his dark hair. I smile at Raffe encouragingly, and he nods back in thanks.

"I just, I know that we've never even discussed this before but now that it's an option I..." Raffe trails off again, prodding the fire with a stick. He takes a deep breath and tries again. "I don't want to lose you, Penryn—I _can't _lose you, not now, not ever. So if you want to... the Angel wings... they're there. If you want them." Raffe finally spits out uncoordinatedly, and it takes a moment for me to truly comprehend what he's telling me.

My whole body freezes, processing the option I just got given. I tilt my head to the side. Being an Angel would mean spending the rest of my life with Raffe. Spending the rest of my life being able to fly. Spending the rest of my life discovering the world I haven't seen. And it's so tempting to just say yes, to throw myself into Raffe's arms and allow myself to have to the happily ever after that I've always wanted. I picture myself soaring through the air like a bird, holding Raffe's hand and singing at the top of my lungs, just because I can.

But then I remember Paige and my mother and my newly-human father, and suddenly the image as myself as a bird gets shot from the sky.

"Raffe," I whisper sadly, longing and pain clear in my voice. I pinch the bridge of my nose between my thumb and forefinger. My heart beats erratically against my chest, and my head rolls backwards for a second as I groan. I stare at the fire once again, admiring its freedom, wanting its freedom.

"Raffe, I'm as human as they come." I say with a non-humorous laugh. "I wish that I could be like you, I really do, but I'm nothing like you. I'm messy and stubborn and unpredictable and I ask too many questions. I make rash, impulsive decisions and I punch men that irritate me." I say, throwing my hands up in the air. "Angels are perfect beings... you said it yourself, it doesn't matter whose blood runs in my veins I will always be human. We come from two different worlds, Raffe, and neither of us fit into the others. We're too different." I smile weakly, looking into his eyes. They burn with too many emotions to count, but I know that he understands. "Besides," I carry on, "I have Paige and my mother and Gabriel here—I can't leave them, not now, not after everything we've been through." There's a moment of silence between us, and eventually I shrug, my eyelids heavy. "I wish there was another way."

Raffe stares at me for an incredibly long amount of time, and when he speaks, his voice is barely audible. "So what does this mean? If I'm an Angel and you're 'just human', where does that leave us?" He asks me, fixing his gaze on a burning log.

A surge of pain lashes through my body and I clutch my chest, feeling as if my heart is about to combust. "I guess we're just people who used to know each other." I say, lifting my shoulders an inch. I jerk my head towards the wings ties up in the tree to my right, forcing myself to keep my tears in.

"Give the wings to Laylah." I smile. "I'll be gone before you wake up."


	17. Chapter 17

_PENRYN_

"Penryn? Penryn! Wake up!"

Something pokes me in the ribs and I shoo it away lazily, rolling onto my side and burying my face into the pillow.

"Penryn!" The little voice whines, and I sigh heavily, forcing my eyes open. Paige leans over me, her big dark eyes wide and alert. I sit up slowly as my sister thrusts a container of food into my face. I take it from her gratefully, tapping the space on the bed next to me. She flops down, leaning her head on my shoulder as I eat.

"So now will you tell me where you've been and what you've been doing?" Paige asks me hopefully, and I chew slowly, trying to decide what to tell her. It took me four days to walk here and find the hideout where Paige and my mother had been taken to before I left in search of Raffe. When I arrived I was so run down with heat exhaustion and fatigue that I barely said two words to my family before collapsing on the floor. When I woke up yesterday it was the first time I truly got to see and talk to the people I value most.

"I went to look for someone who had made a deal with a bad man." I say, choosing my words carefully. Paige's bottom jaw falls open, revealing two rows of sharp, pointed teeth. I try not to cringe. Her 'transformation' as Obi is currently calling it, is a myth to all the people located at the survivor's camp. No one can figure out what Paige is and how she has become what she is. Even though physically she resembles a creature of the night, on the inside she is still the same Paige she has always been. She is kind and caring and thoughtful and now that she can walk once again, she visits those who are ill or injured at the camp and keeps them company.

Secretly, I am glad, because through all of this, she is still my sweet little sister.

When Paige and my mother first arrived, apparently people were not very accepting of my family. Women covered their children's eyes when Paige walked past, and whispers spread through the camp that she was a monster who should not be let live. Obi had insisted though that she stay untouched until proven that she no longer is truly human, but within a day Paige's compassion and loyalty had had everyone in the palm of her hands. She could stay.

"Did you find him?" Paige asks from beside me, waking me from my reverie. I smile at her, nodding.

"Yeah, I did Paige." I stand up off of the bed and stretch out my arms, looking around for my mother. I spot her over in the corner speaking to a tall woman with huge blue eyes, and I kiss Paige's hair as a signal of departure. When I reach the two women I smile stiffly at the blue-eyed one, locking my fingers around the crook of my mother's arm so that she cannot escape.

"Excuse me." My mom mutters to her friend, and I smile at the other lady, dragging us both out of hearing distance.

We stare expectantly at each other for a long moment, and I search her eyes for any sign of emotion. "Well?" I blurt out after a few more seconds of silence. She gapes at me as if she had nothing to explain, nothing to clarify—as if she is perfectly innocent. "I know about Gabriel. And about whom Paige and I are." I say through tight lips, and my mother's eyebrows shoot up her forehead. "I want to know everything. I want to know how you met him, why he left you and why you never told us about him. I want the truth, mom." I say as sternly as I can, and my mother shrinks down into her torso as if she's a child being reprimanded. Wordlessly she shakes her head, and I pull away in disbelief.

"You owe this to me." I spit at her, and she shrugs, biting her lip.

I glower at her for what seems like a small eternity, and then she shrugs, her eyes watery. "He fooled me into believing that he was human." She says. "And then one day he told me that he had another family, that he had been unfaithful and he was leaving me. I was expecting you at the time and I didn't believe him at first. Then he left and I had no other choice but to accept that it was true. I made the mistake of going after him, of demanding answers—that was when I found out the real truth. He had no other family and he had always loved me, but once he realized that he had created a nephilim child, he knew he had to escape and pretend to have had nothing to do with me in order to protect us both from Raphael, the Angel who defeats nephilim." My mother shoots me a pointed look, and I feel my cheeks burn. "Anyway," She carries on nonchalantly, "I never did see him again after that."

My mother smooths out her skirt as I take it all in. So Gabriel wasn't lying, he truly did love my mother and me... wait, but what about Paige?

"But, if you never saw him again, how did you have Paige?" I ask confusedly, and my mother looks down at the ground, caught red-handed.

"I knew that I couldn't afford to raise you alone, so I married Peter, a man who I'd attended high school with. Paige is not Gabriel's child." She admits, and I rock back on my heels, surprise washing over me. Paige is my half-sister? That means...

I sigh a huge sound of relief, closing my eyes. Paige is not nephilim like me; she is a normal child— monstrous assets aside. Although part of me wants to yell at my mother, to scream that she is an insane woman, another part of me is happy. Paige will never have to feel the utter confusion that I currently am feeling. She will never have to pick between her human family and her Angel family.

Paige is off the hook.


	18. Chapter 18

_RAFFE_

I don't trust Laylah. But, I have no one else to turn to. As I peel off my shirt and throw it into the corner of the room, I can't help but stare at the large white table. It has a medicinal feel to it, as if we are in a proper doctor's surgeon and I am a patient about to be operated on. I lay down gently on the table, ignoring the chill that spreads through me as the cool marble touches my skin. I press my cheek against the surface and grip onto the edges of the table legs for support, and I hold on so tightly that my hands start to ache.

"Are you ready?" Laylah asks me, and I grunt in response. A warm, slender finger slides down the bloody, dried-up mess that is the spot where my wings once were, and for a second it lingers as if unwilling to proceed any further. I grit my teeth in anticipation as the needle pierces my skin, and warm blood trickles down my sides, pooling onto the table.

It hurts. A lot.

But the familiar feeling of feather's swishing against my back quickly soothes me, and I am comforted only by the thought that soon my wings will belong to me again, and maybe even my sword will consider me worthy.

My sword!

After Penryn cut my demon wings she dropped it, which means that it is still in Hell! The realization makes me jolt upright, but a searing, prickling pain in my shoulder blades stops me from moving any more. Laylah's hands are gentle but tough as she threads my wings with perfectly precise strokes. It is always easy to underestimate her skills, but she is exceptional at these types of jobs when she wants to be. I do realize, of course, that she is trying to impress me in order to obtain Gabriel's wings, but a small part of me still hasn't given up hope that Penryn will change her mind.

Another harsh slash of agony ripples through my back, and I turn my thoughts quickly back to Penryn, in hope of distracting myself. I know that it was selfish of me to ask her to give up her life as a human, but I'm just not ready to say goodbye yet.

She may have given up on us—but I haven't.

Not now, not ever.

It's ridiculous how when I first met her, I never even considered for a second that I may fall for her. She was just another human, practically a child— she could fight and defend herself better than most, but still, just another human. I didn't even like her, I mean she chained me up to a trolley and used my wings as blackmail!

But then I got to know her, and I started to notice little things that I admired about her. Like the way she asks a million questions seemingly without being able to help herself, or the way that her goal in life is to protect her family at all costs. I started to notice how she trusted me when I had done nothing to earn it, and how she never even for a second believed that she could fail. She is the one who taught me of perseverance, and now I shall use her own lessons against her—I am not going to give up on the only person I have ever loved.

"Raffe, it's over." Laylah's voice appears in my ear, and I unclench my jaw, surprised at how well my distraction has worked. I sit up slowly, an ache spreading throughout my body down to my toes. I am not comfortable, and it is painful, but my wings are there, large and majestic as ever. Even as Laylah stares at me, her hands smeared with red as evidence, I feel no sense of joy. I am not overwhelmingly elated as I had expected.

This was my goal over the past few months, so why am I still not happy?

This is what I wanted... isn't it?

I am Angel, which is what I want to be.

Isn't it?

* * *

_PENRYN_

There are too many people, and not enough food.

That is but one of the many problems here at the camp. Illness is uncontainable, it spreads through us like wildfire, and every now and then of us will die. I have been here almost a week and practically everyone has been struck with some form of sickness.

Everyone except me.

At first it didn't concern me—shouldn't I just be happy that I'm unaffected?

But then I realized.

Angels are immune to human viruses, and I am part Angel—just one of the things that separates me from them. I'm starting to recognize small differences that were never apparent to me before, like how I don't fall ill easily, or how I'm much stronger than even the strongest of men at the camp. I can run faster than all the other girls my age, and my wounds heal too quickly to be natural. I dread that they will figure me out, and I lie in my cot each night restlessly fighting away the cruel thoughts that enter my mind.

One of my most prominent fears now is that I will not belong anywhere. The humans will not accept me because I am part Angel, the Angels will not accept me because I am part human. So where do my alliances stand amongst all of this? With my father and his people, or with my mother and Paige and their people? That right now is my worst nightmare, if suddenly I am stuck in the middle of the feud alone, if suddenly I am forced to become Switzerland.

"Penryn it's time for our examination." Paige touches me with a dirty fingernail, and I nod, taking her hand and smoothing out my clothes. I was lucky enough to have been given some fresh garments—a pair of black jeans, a sweater and some canvas sneakers—that the camp leaders found while ransacking nearby houses. We make our way down the tents to a little room with a red cross on it. To try and control the amount of sickness being spread around, each person is required to be examined by a doctor every Tuesday so that if a person is infected their issue can be detected and dealt with early. There are rumours that those first in the chain of a disease are moved into isolation until they either recover or die, but I'm not quite sure whether I believe that story yet.

Paige pulls open the curtain of the little tent and we step inside, taking a seat in front of the nurse. She's a short woman with a brown mane so curly that it inches off of her head in strange little tufts. Page stares at it, captivated with the spirals of hair as only a child can be. The woman looks at her clipboard and then the both of us, a smile on her petite face.

"Penryn and Paige Young?" She asks, and we both nod. The nurse starts with me first, checking each of my eyes with a little flashlight, taking my temperature, checking my ears and the back of my throat. Then she raids my hair for parasites and other nasties, flipping the long dark strands over in her hands. After checking my head thoroughly she inspects my arms, legs, torso and feet, finally taking my heart rate and breathing rate. The nurse smiles and laughs a little, taking a not on her clipboard.

"All fine again Miss Penryn. I honestly don't know how you stay so healthy all of the time." She tells me, and I purse my lips.

"The right diet and a lot of exercise." I say with a wry smile, and then the nurse shrugs and turns to inspect Paige.

I don't know how long this act is going to last.


	19. Chapter 19

_PENRYN_

I stare into the tiny, cracked pocket mirror, examining the face looking back at me. The girl in the reflection has all of the same features as me, yet she looks different. Maybe it's the way that her face is a little more slender, her jaw a little more defined, or the fact that her eyes are glassy and darker. Or maybe it's due to the clean hair that has finally been washed and sits in a long, sleek ponytail on top of her head.

Or maybe it's the knife that now sits permanently in her belt, just in case.

Whatever it is, the girl in the mirror is different.

Not different in a bad way, just... older, I guess. And more mature. She looks stronger and fiercer—ready to face anything.

"Excuse me, are you Penryn Young?" A voice rings out from behind me, and I shove the compact mirror into the pocket of my jeans, whipping around with my eyes narrowed. Two men dressed completely in black stand before me, their eyes piercing into me like tiny needles. They're both ridiculously good looking, but they're so large and muscled that my confidence immediately dies. One has sandy blonde hair and the other a deep, dark brown, almost black.

I don't respond to their question, but I cross my arms over my chest, one eyebrow raised. The men exchange a glance and then step outwards, leaving a pathway for me to walk through. "We just want to ask you a few questions about Raphael, if you'd come outside with us." The dark haired one says, his eyes kind. I glance around to see if anyone is watching—to make sure that I have witnesses.

"Why can't you ask me here? No one is listening." I say adamantly, and the blonde one rolls his eyes impatiently. I glare at him, deciding he's the cockier one of the two. "We need to discuss this matter in privacy, if you'd so kindly come with us." Blondie tells me through tight lips, and his words sound forced.

I shake my head, taking a step away. Everything about this situation screams _wrong. _"No, thank you, I think I'd like to stay. If there's anything you need to ask me you can do so here." I insist, and the dark headed one sighs.

Blondie taps his foot in frustration. "See, Jeremiel? I _told _you she would be as stubborn as they came! She was with Raphael for weeks, it's not like he's the most easy-going guy around—she was bound to pick up some of his traits." He sneers, and I shoot him a look as sharp as daggers.

"Excuse me?" I ask incredulously, but both men ignore me, sizing me up for a moment.

"Hush, Michael, it is impolite." Jeremiel reprimands his companion.

Maybe I would have thanked Jeremiel for telling off—'Blondie'—Michael except that the next thing the two men do completely contradicts the way he just spoke of being 'polite'. Because at that moment they decide to grab me, gagging my screams with a handkerchief along the way. One man grabs my legs while the other holds my arms still, and my kicking and thrashing about does nothing to deter them... and then I realize why. As Michael turns around, still gripping onto my legs, I catch a glimpse of white feathers underneath his jacket. At this point I give up fighting completely—one angel maybe I could take on, but two? That is unheard of. Jeremiel leans in close to my face, his lips brushing my ear as he speaks. "This could have gone much differently, Miss Young. However, due to your lack of co-operation, this is what you have forced us to resort to."

I stare at him out of the corner of my eye, wishing that I wasn't gagged so that I could at least spit at him, but all I can do is glare with hatred. The two angels pull off their jackets, and their majestic white wings unfurl, blocking even the sun momentarily. My heart starts to race as I realize that they are planning to take flight whilst still holding me. The thought of being miles and miles above the Earth sends a chill through my spine, but I try to ignore it. I brace myself for a bumpy take off, though it never comes. By the time I've blinked we're up in the air, moving so quickly that it doesn't even give me the sensation of moving at all.

The cold wind prickles my skin, and my sweater ripples out to the side of me. _Don't look down, _I instruct myself a second too late. My eyes widen and I squirm as I take in the tiny Earth below me. The camp is but a speck of dust, the greenness of the grass fading into a greyish brown colour. I want to close my eyes and squeeze them shut, but the wind won't let me.

So I keep them open the entire time, watching as we fly to a destination that cannot possibly be somewhere a nephilim such as myself wants to go to.

* * *

_RAFFE_

"It's going to take time, Raffe." Laylah tells me as I fall to the ground again with a _thump. _I writhe to stand up, brushing dirt from my knees.

"I don't _have _any time." I tell her, lunging with my left foot behind. I focus on the sky, putting all of my energy into my wings. I push off from the ground and flex my shoulder blades. For a split second it works, and I'm suspended in mid-air, floating above the ground. And then it stops working, and I crash back down again.

"Argh!" I grunt with frustration. Who would have thought that flying again would be so difficult? Demon wings were light and thin—much easier to fly with. But these, these feathered beasts, these are damn heavy!

"Whenever an Angel goes for a long period of time without their wings they become adapted to their current state. And then when they do get their wings back they have to teach their bodies all over again. It takes a lot of time and pain and dedication, but most do it." Laylah informs me, and I shoot her a sarcastic look.

"Gee, thanks." I mutter, ignoring when she rolls her eyes at me. I try again, this time staying up in the air a little longer before falling. Hours pass by, and Laylah turns with a sigh, walking into the abandoned house that we inhabited so that she could sew my wings. Darkness falls over the city, and I am still outside until the early morn, practicing. The place where I think most clearly is up in the sky, when the world has disappeared from underneath me, and right now I need to think about a lot of things. Things like where I go from here, and what I do about Penryn, and what I want in my life. The only time when I know I always make the right decisions is when I am flying.

So I practise all night and all day, until I can fly again.


	20. Chapter 20

**_GAH! So sorry for not updating faster, my laptop had a complete mental breakdown and even though I had written this chapter a while ago I was unable to see it, access it OR post it up here! Grrr... technology irritates me. Anyway, finally up now, so I hope you like it :) Thanks guys!_**

* * *

_PENRYN_

To say that I am uncomfortable would be an understatement. My hands are bound behind my back with rope, and both of my ankles are tied to the legs of the chair that I was forced to sit on. I had always thought that this stuff only ever happened in movies, but hey, maybe Angels like watching human sci-fi/horror films in their free time. I try to wriggle my fingers free, but the rope burns my flesh, irritating the delicate skin of my knuckles.

Michael pulls his sword out from his belt, running his finger from the tip to the handle, his eyes gleaming. I stare at him, trying not to let my fear show.

"My, my, what a pretty little face you have there _Miss Young_." Michael informs me, feigning sweetness. I blink, blood pulsing through my veins at lightning speed. "I wonder if it truly is as delicate as it looks." He muses, leaning forward so that his face is but a couple of inches away from mine. He presses his sword lightly against my cheekbone, and I feel goose bumps rise where the cool metal touches my skin. I don't say anything—partly out of arrogance and partly because my mouth is still dry from the earlier gag. Michael's eyebrows furrow and he presses the knife deeper into my skin, making me grit my teeth. A line of blood trickles down the corner of my mouth and drips onto my jeans.

Michael pulls a chair out from the tiny table next to me, and I use his momentary distraction as a chance to memorize everything about where I am, for future reference. I'm in some kind of abandoned school, specifically, one of the classrooms. Posters about pronouns and adverbs and synonyms hang all over the walls, there's a blackboard up the front, and rows upon rows of tables and chairs scattered around the place. Seeing the setting brings a wave of nostalgia over me—what would my life have been like had the apocalypse never come? Would I have gone to school every day and looked after Paige like I always had before? Gone to an Ivy League college somewhere far away from my mother? I wonder if I would have married or had children, and what career path I would have chosen. Knowing that I won't ever have these tiny things in life that I took for granted before is like a stab to the heart—much more painful than anything Michael or even Lucifer could ever inflict on me.

"You know, when I was informed of your... _companionship _with Raphael, I never really understood it. I mean, what would a powerful Angel like him want with a scrawny human girl like you?" Michael asks rhetorically, and I silently wonder whether he's talking to me or himself. He smiles, a big, handsome, toothy grin, flipping his blonde hair to one side. "But now I think I understand. You see, it's easy to tell that you are not like other humans. You are more accepting of Angelism, you understand us even. So when Raphael's wings were cut and he could no longer return to Heaven, it would make sense for him to seek out a cohort so that he did not die of loneliness—literally, of course." Michael winks at me, and I glare back with resent. "And that's where you come into this. Little old you looking for your sister. And you stumble across Raphael and the two of you strike a deal. So tell me, Penryn, where is he? Even if you are not aware of exact whereabouts, surely you have spent long enough with him now to know his patterns, his style, his thought trains. So where is he?" Michael asks, and I just shrug, trying to look bored.

His comments and attempts at deterring me do nothing—I'm way past believing Angels right now. Michael groans and picks up his sword, lining it up with the gash already on my face and pressing it even deeper, so that streams of ruby red blood dribble down my face. It stings like hell- no pun intended- and I grind my teeth, ordering myself to keep it together. Michael's face contorts, and in his eyes is the masochistic gleam of enjoyment that makes me feel sick to my stomach. He twists the sword a little, and I'm proud of myself, because somehow I manage to push my tears away and keep a straight face. Michael cries out in exasperation and pulls away, his teeth bared.

"Just tell me where he is!" He shrieks at me, and I keep my face bland. I will not give in.

"Now now, Michael, is that any way to speak to our guest?" Jeremiel's voice appears from the doorway, and I try not to breathe a sigh of relief. Out of the two Angels, I definitely prefer Jeremiel over Michael. Blondie rolls his eyes and slumps back into his chair, seemingly giving up on me.

"I brought this for you." Jeremiel smiles at me, placing a huge glass of ice-cold water down on the table beside me. I stare at it, thirsting to hydrate my dry mouth and ease the killer headache that I can feel coming on. I attempt to reach forward and grab it, but the ropes around my wrists stop me, and I glare up at Jeremiel with rage. He gazes back with an amused smile, his dark eyes glittering. "Come, Michael, let's leave Miss Young alone to see if she decides to change her mind about telling us where Raphael is."

So they both exit, leaving me to stare longingly at the water.

It doesn't take long for them to return though, only half an hour, and I can tell that they are going to crack before I am if I keep this up. Michael walks in first, and he stops dead when he sees me, sat in the very same position I had been in an hour earlier, my face just as blank. I consider shooting him a smug look, to prove that I'm mentally stronger than your average human, but then I realize what he's actually looking at.

"Well, look what we have here, a nephilim child." Michael says with an evil chuckle, crossing his arms over his chest. I lean down and rub my cheek against my shoulder cautiously, but there is no blemish there—no bump, no scar, not even any pain.

My mouth pops open. My eyes widen with fright. For the first time since I arrived I let my fear show.

My wounds have healed.

Now they know what I am.

* * *

_RAFFE_

I can fly now, which is encouraging, but where I fly to? I have no idea. My first thought is to head straight for Penryn, obviously, but somehow I just don't think that the other humans at her base will appreciate an Angel such as myself dropping in for a moment.

"You have to leave her be, you know." Laylah tells me quietly, as if she can read my mind. I float back down to the ground gently, my toes touching the dirt first, and then the entire soles of my feet.

"What are you talking about?" I ask her, staring with wide eyes.

"Raffe," Laylah sighs at me as if someone has just told a hilarious adult joke and I am the child who is incapable of understanding. "She made her choice to leave, you have to let her go."

"No, I need to protect her. I don't care if she wants to be with me or not, I'm never going to stop looking out for her." I say sharply, sending daggers at Laylah with my eyes as she huffs exasperatedly.

"She's _nephilim_ Raffe, which means that she's always going to be in danger whether you're there protecting her or not." Laylah throws her hands up to the Heavens, as if trying to ask them for help in making me understand what she means. Birds chirp happily around us, and the sun beats down heavily on my dark hair, heating it to the point where it burns my scalp.

"Well she's going to be in less danger if I'm there with her." I insist, and Laylah rolls her eyes, giving me a taste of the Laylah I have learned to accept- and dislike- over the past however many years.

"Stop trying to control everything, Raphael! You have to let destiny pan out- you can't keep interrupting fate when it's convenient for you!" She spits, and tiny wet droplets litter the ground. I flinch, my eyes narrowing.

"What are you talking about? Do you know something I don't? Is Penryn in trouble?" I ask urgently, stalking forward and placing my hands on Laylah's shoulders, shaking her slightly.

"Of course not!" She insists, feigning innocence. I have known Laylah long enough to be able to see straight through her charade, and I glare at her with the ferocity and confidence of a tiger on the prowl. She shrinks beneath my fingers, her mouth contorting.

"Tell me what you know." I say calmly, but even I am surprised at how threatening the words sound.

"Michael and Jeremiel- before I left, they had a plan to take her..."


	21. Chapter 21

**_I'm sorry for the late update! My computer got a virus and well... it all went down hill from there... but I'm back now so ENJOY! :)_**

* * *

_PENRYN_

"Well well little nephilim girl, what a surprise." Jeremiel muses, staring at me similar to how a scientist might stare at his newest experiment. I close my mouth promptly and turn my face away. His warm fingers trace the line of my jaw and I resist the urg to bite him.

I have no doubt that they're going to kill me.

"Who's the Angel then sweetheart, your mommy or your daddy?" Michael asks eagerly, and I stare at him with distaste.

"If you're going to kill me, just do it. I'm getting a little bored." I taunt, my voice thick with sarcasm. Michael sneers and slaps me hard across the face, and Jeremiel sighs. I bite my lip as my cheek stings, willing myself to keep calm.

"Penryn, my dear" Jeremiel starts, standing up and walking over to me "there are certain... _anicdotes_, I suppose, that reverse the quick-paced healing of the nephilim body. A herb named Guarana causes the body's healing instinct to slow down when swallowed by a nephilim. If you do not give us the answers we require, we will have no choice but to force-feed you some very special Guarana herbs." Jeremiel stares at me solemnly, and I let my chin fall down to rest on my chest, ignoring him. Guarana herbs. That must be how my superhuman healing never grabbed my attention before- my mother was feeding me Guarana herbs sneakily to make me heal more slowly. But now that I've been without her for months, the effect of the Guarana's must have sub-sided. I cringe when I think of the horrendous- and slow healing- pain that the two Angels will be able to inflict on me once they drug me with the herb again.

"Wait a minute," Michael says, staring at me with eager, round eyes. "I know who your Angel parent is." He claims, smiling like a cheshire cat. My heart pumps violently as panic rises in my throat. _Gabriel. _"It's Raphael, isn't it? _That's _why you were both so eager to form a companionship!" Michael yells triumphantly.

Okay, _eww. _

If only Michael knew how completely and thouroughly _wrong _that statement is. Raffe my father? That would be unfortunate. Especially since I've kissed the guy- more than once.

"Are you crazy?" I can't help but blurt out. "Raffe is _not _my dad. Gross." I spit, but the look of complete amusement on their faces tells me that they don't believe me.

"How easily you lie." Michael observes. "I've heard that some humans even get payed to lie for amusement. Actors, they're called, aren't they? Those who pretend to be other people so that other humans can watch something completely fake occur?" He asks me and I shrug. "You would make a very good actor, Penryn." He says, and I raise my eyebrows.

"Gee, thanks, I'll make sure to note that down and talk to my guidance consellor about my future career options." I say snidely, and Michael laughs.

"Well, you are just like your father, aren't you? Both too cocky for your own good."

"At least I find my fun in being cocky and not torturing teenaged girls." I say pointedly.

"You think I'm having fun hurting you?"

"Aren't you?"

Michael and I stare at each other for a long moment, and his eyes soften the slightest amount. He leans forward, so close that I can smell his minty breath- who knew that Angels use Colgate?- and I stare at his arms as his lips brush my ear. "I'm not having fun yet, Miss Young, but I will be when I kill you."

I roll my neck around, trying to ease the stiffness.

"You know, I don't really undertand Angels." I say. "I mean, aren't they meant to be all kind and surrounded in white light and help people and stuff?" I ask, though my words come out slurred. I'm tired. Really tired.

"See, that's the problem with you mortals. You all think that we're here to protect you and look out for you and _blah blah blah._" Says Michael. "That's what we wanted to do in the beginning- make sure that every person on Earth had and Angel looking out for them. But we help you all out for millions of years without so much as a thank you! What's worse, we make sure that no one gets hurt and most humans don't even _believe that we exist._You're ungrateful and you treat us like dirt and we're sick of it!" He bellows, slamming his fist down on the table. He breathes rapidly, and for a second my eyes widen.

"Wait wait wait, you mean to tell me, that Angels started the apocalypse because _they were mad that humans don't appreciate them?" _I ask in disbelief.

Michael shoots daggers at me with his gaze. "Penryn, why do you think that bad things happen to good people?" He asks me, and I shrug not knowing what this has to do with anything. "Think about it. Why do you think something awful could happen to someone who is nothing but good?" He asks again, and I shake my head.

"I dunno. It's life, I guess." My eyes are closing. There's no way I'll be able to stay awake for much longer.

"No it's not Penryn. Millions of years ago, when people actually aprreciated us, no one died by accident because all of the Archangels were there for them. Of course people were killed from sickness and old age because that actually _is _part of life- but work accidents and vehicle accidents, the Archangels were there and saw to it that those people healed. But these days, more and more people are getting hurt in car accidents and plane crashes, all because the loyalty from humans has stopped and the Angels are turning their backs. They don't want to protect people who aren't grateful anymore, so slowly Angels are stopped caring- just like humans have about Angels. The final Angel stopped caring on September eleventh." Michael trails off.

September eleventh- why is that date so familiar?

Of course.

It was the very first day of the apocalypse.

The day when the last Angel turned its back on mankind.


	22. Chapter 22

**_Hey all! First off, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR 200+ REVIEWS! You guys are awesome! Secondly, I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated, I will try and do it more often I promise :) Anyway enjoy and let me know what you think!  
:D_**

* * *

_RAFFE_

I take off into a sprint, my lungs burning.

I have to find her.

How could I have trusted Laylah for even a second? How could I have ever thought that she wanted to help me? She's selfish and arrogant and twisted... how could I have been so stupid? She knew all along that Michael and Jeremiel were planning to take Penryn and she just let it happen! The thought of Penryn in danger pushes my legs even faster until gradually I'm off the ground. The cool wind rushes past my face as my wings carry me faster than any human legs could ever travel.

In a matter of minutes I've located the Camp for humans, and I brace myself to land a couple hundred yards away from the shelter. I descend gently through the clouds, landing lightly on my toes. Where do I start looking for her though? I can't walk straight into the Camp now that Obi's men know who I am—they'd kill me in seconds.

"Raphael."

I whirl around at the sound of my name, and to my surprise, Penryn's father stands behind me, hidden in the shadows.

"Gabriel?" I whisper, squinting through the darkness. He takes a step towards me but starts talking right away, not giving me time to ask questions.

"I was waiting for you to come, Raphael. Michael and Jeremiel took Penryn a few hours ago; they headed west, most likely into the city CBD. Please find her." He pleads with me, and when I look into his dark eyes—so like Penryn's—I can see the desperation hidden behind the bravery. I know how helpless he must feel, watching his daughter being taken away but having no wings and no way to save her. All he could do was stand and watch and pray that I would come in time. My head feels heavy as I nod.

"Of course, Gabriel, she'll be fine." I swear, holding my fist to my chest in a silent salute of promise. He bows his head at me and then retreats into the darkness, staring into the camp, his eyes focused. I follow his gaze, and I close my eyes for a second when I realize what—or who, rather—he's looking at. Penryn's mother sits on a bunk with Paige, combing through her youngest daughter's hair with her bony fingers. Gabriel's eyes never leave the two, and suddenly I feel as if I'm intruding on a private moment, something too personal and intricate for me to understand. I turn away and push off into the air, my thoughts momentarily deterred from Penryn.

* * *

_PENRYN_

"I've thought about it, and I've decided to give you the answers that you want." I say reluctantly, and Jeremiel's face lights up as he nudges his companion. "_If,_ you cut these off." I insist, jerking my head towards the ropes around my legs and wrists. Michael crosses his arms, shaking his head at me in a way that says '_yeah right, nice try'_. I huff. "Seriously? You won't cut them? What, are you scared of a little nephilim girl?" I taunt, and even though it's childish of me to do so, I can't help but push his buttons a little more. "I thought Angels were supposed to be all strong and powerful—apparently not." I snort, and Michael rolls his eyes.

"Okay, if I cut you free will you shut up?" He asks me, and I nod, biting my lip as he walks over. He bends down and slices the rope off of my legs, cutting my skin in the process, and then does the same to my arms. I stand up shakily, stretching out my limbs. Michael and Jeremiel eye me as I glance around the room. I spot a paintbrush and a small tube of red paint over on one of the tables behind me, surrounded by a bunch of colorful marble paintings done by young schoolchildren. I try to back towards it slowly, making the maneuver look casual, and pull myself up to sit on the table.

"So?" Jeremiel asks, his eyes lit with anticipation and eagerness. "Tell us what you know!" He says, clasping his hands together. Blondie looks bored, as if now that I'm not in pain he's not interested anymore.

"But he told me that if he cut me loose I had to shut up." I protest, leaning back on the table. I jab one finger at Michael and grope my other hand out behind me, searching for the paintbrush. My fingernail catches the edge of the brush, and I shove it into the back pocket of my jeans before searching again for the red tube. If I can grab it and escape that I may be able to paint some sort of S.O.S sign. Michael sneers at me and Jeremiel sighs.

"Please, Penryn, just tell us what you know." He tells me in a tired voice as I keep feeling for the pain tube—score! I shove the tube into my other pocket and stand up, taking a step towards Jeremiel.

"You want to know where Raffe is?" I ask seriously, and Michael throws his hands up in exasperated impatience. I take another step forward so that my face is only a few inches from Jeremiel's. "To be honest, he's probably almost on the roof about to break in and kill you." I say with confidence, though the words come out a little slurred from my exhaustion. Jeremiel looks as if he wants to laugh, but he doesn't have time because at that moment I swing the paintbrush up and stab it as hard as I can into Jeremiel's neck. He screams out in pain and slashes his fingernails into my arms, drawing blood. I ignore the pain and bolt towards the door without hesitation, scrambling down the stairs. I can hear Michael a few yards behind me and I work to shove everything I can find into his path. I breathe heavily as I bolt through the doorway and into the deserted streets. As I round a few corners I think that I may have lost him briefly, and that's when I get the idea. I pull the red tube of paint from my pocket and rip it open with my teeth, letting droplets splash onto the ground. I run around in random directions—losing a shoe in the process—until my trail covers a huge area and leads into the lobby of a broken motel, and then I chuck the tube as far away as I can, staring at my handiwork. The paint is the same vibrant red color of blood, and with any luck Michael will follow my path, believing that my injured arms have given me away. With an intake of breath I run as far away from the scene as I can; only hoping that my plan will work.

* * *

_RAFFE_

There is blood everywhere, and my heart drops to the floor.

Her shoe lies lonesome on the pavement.

I have to find her.


End file.
